Gifts, Ministries and Workings

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Notice the three divisions of the subject of spiritual gifts. There are gifts; there are ministries (called service here); and there are workings (or energizings). Gifts are linked to the Spirit, ministries are linked to the Lord Jesus, and workings are linked to God the Father. Thus, the Triune God is seen dwelling within his body, the church, for the specific purpose of ministering to a broken world.

A gift is a specific capacity or function which is given to us directly by the Spirit of God. We do not generate these gifts by ourselves; they are implanted in us by the Spirit Himself. A ministry is the sphere in which a gift is performed, among a certain group of people or in a certain geographic area. It is the sovereign right and prerogative of the Lord Jesus to assign a sphere of service for each member of His body. You can see Him exercising this right after His resurrection. He appears to Peter and three times bids him, Feed my sheep. That was to be Peter's ministry. He was to be a pastor (or elder), feeding the flock of God (see John 21:15-23).

The Lord is still exercising this right today. He sets some to the task of teaching Christians. He sends others to minister to those who are outside of the church. To some He gives the task of training youth and to others a ministry to older people. Some work with women and others with men; some go to the Jews, others to the Gentiles. Peter was sent to the Jews, while Paul was sent to the Gentiles. They both had the same gift, but their ministry was different.

Then there are workings. These are the responsibility of the Father. The term refers to the degree of power by which a gift is manifested on a specific occasion. There are varieties of workings, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone. Every exercise of a spiritual gift does not produce the same result each time. The same message given in different circumstances will not produce the same results. God is endlessly creative and does not intend to produce the same results every time. He could, but He does not always desire to do so. It is up to the Father to determine how much is accomplished at each ministry of a gift.

Lord, I cannot thank you enough for the gifts you give and the many ways you allow me to use them. Thank you for your creativity and generosity!