Appreciating Different Gifts

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=12&version=31

I think one of the ways a community of faith can be torn apart (or at least severely hampered) is when someone feels a bit too smug about their spiritual gifts. There are various "lists" of giftings in scripture (the above passage is just a good comprehensive "big picture" look at the issue), and even some tests that are available to help you discern your possible gifts. There are even some gifts, like "hospitality" or "creative communication", which may be difficult to see in scriptural lists but those smarter than I have decided belong in the discussion.

Where I struggle is the occasional person I run into that seems to feel their gift is more "godly" or whatever... An example is the person with a "prayer" gift (we should all pray, but some folks just seem to do it so naturally...) that just can't understand why other folks don't just drop everything and spend hours a day in solitude with the Lord. Or those "prophetic"-types, who seem to often have a real gift for hearing God's voice, yet they can either become a bit arrogant or even condescending to others when the reciepient of their message doesn't just drop everything and follow a new path ("Oh well, ignore God if you want..."), or they struggle with discernment, and before you know it, ALL "feelings" become some message from God (Boy, I have some funny stories from folks like this I've known...).

Problem is, I can be just as bad. One of my gifts is "mercy", and as a result, it is natural for me (i.e. requires little-to-no effort) to feel compassion for the underdogs of life, or when not-fun things are happening to someone. But, I catch myself being just as bad as my prayer/prophetic-types example. When I hear other Christians with little sympathy for someone (even if that someone "deserves" scorn due to repeated offenses, or lack of trust, etc.), I still catch myself thinking, and sometimes saying, things like, "But Jesus calls us to have mercy!" and can start to JUDGE their hearts. "If they were REALLY serious about Jesus, they would have more mercy!"

Gee, sounds like, "If they were real Christians, they would pray more," or, "If they really trusted God, they would trust my prophetic word from Him," or, "If they truly had a heart for non-believers, they would be actively evangelizing on street corners, in class, at work, everywhere at all times." The list can go to ANY GIFT.

I think we need to do a better job truly appreciating each others' gifts, but with a new dose of humility towards ours. Truly living that whole "body" thing... One of the amazing, proof-of-deity aspects of Jesus was how he so easily traversed all the polar opposites in gifts, personality, temperment, etc. Firm but gentle. Forgiving yet "calling you on the carpet." Strong but would get concerned. The rest of us struggle with that. We are "either-or" on most issues it seems, at least if left unchallenged. We need to realize and seek the balance in giftings needed to truly be God's people. We are EACH called/commanded to seek justice, mercy, listen to God, trust, pray, witness, be welcoming, help, teach, and give of ourselves to others, but we all are more "wired" in an individual area. We just need to a) respect others when their gift may be in a different area, b) look for ways that gift-sets can comliment each other, and maybe most difficult, c) realize we still need to aspire to seek ways to impliment all gifts into our own life of faith, even if we don't like to (like witnessing...sure, some are more gifted, but many of do NONE of it because "others are better at it"...).

For what it's worth...