© 2021 Philip M Spence
Every believer needs the sense of fulfilment that comes from being fruitful in God. This is because we were created for accomplishment. Goals and activity are not enough; we need to be productive. This means that we need to see what we’ve produced through our activities (Genesis 1:26-28).
To be productive in the Kingdom of God we need to ultimately find out where we fit, what we can do effectively, and then begin to reach out and be a blessing in a way that is natural and comfortable.
God isn’t expecting anyone to be something that they are not. He has created us all to be uniquely individual people who know where we fit and how to function effectively to become fruitful and fulfilled in serving the King.
If you have a natural flair for something, make that the starting point for effective Kingdom function. Then you will see the grace of God on your efforts; you will minister with an ease and great faith; and you will have a sustainable passion for serving God and being a blessing to people.
Grace
God gives us the grace we need for effective Kingdom function (Ephesians 4:7). It is a specific amount which matches our calling and giftedness. We have been given all the grace we need to fulfil our God-given destiny (Romans 12:3-11).
God’s grace is linked to our gifts and abilities (Romans 12:6). It is His favour on our lives and specifically upon the areas in which we are ministering. The grace of God gives us everything we need as we serve Him and others. It strengthens us in our service (2 Corinthians 12:9). People respond to the grace of God that they see on our lives and our service as we invest our unique gifts and ministries in the service of the King.
Faith
Just as God has given us grace linked to our callings and giftings, He has apportioned an allotment of faith to each of us. This measure of faith is linked directly to our gifts and abilities (Romans 12:3).
To minister outside of our giftings can be a struggle because we have been given faith in alignment with our gifts and abilities. There are times when we all do what must be done but the most effective Kingdom function occurs when we function in the areas of the allotment of grace and faith God has given us.
By accepting our giftings and placement in the body according to our measure of faith, we can maintain a balanced perspective of ourselves. We can then have a greater appreciation for what others contribute and we can champion their fruitfulness.
Ministry is most effective when there is faith in the heart of the person ministering. The person ministering has courage, boldness, and confidence when there is faith in their heart. Therefore, it is essential that we serve God in the areas in which we are individually and uniquely gifted.
People respond to the faith with which we minister and are more likely to receive what we are ministering when we are functioning in the areas to which we are called and gifted.
Passion
Passion is a fervency of heart that releases faith and grace as we minister. This fervency is the result of being confident in what we are doing, and believing for, and seeing the results of our ministry (Romans 12:9-11).
This passion is the zeal of God which is an essential part of serving the Lord and being fruitful in Him. Elijah was a prophet with a breakthrough ministry. His example is that he was just like you and me, but he prayed earnestly, or with great passion and conviction (James 5:16b-18).
The Apostles in the Book of Acts had such a passion in their service that they were prepared to, and did, endure many things with joy to fulfil their mandate. People respond to those who are serving God with a passion and great conviction.
We are all gifted differently. None is greater or lesser, but we all need to identify the area of service for which we have a God-given passion. As our giftings are identified, they must be considered in the light of what you feel called to and the passion of your heart. This will help you find your niche in the Kingdom.
God wants His church to be effective by investing our gifts and abilities in service, ministering out of grace, faith, and passion, and seeing great results.
To summarise, we can know where and how we are gifted by recognising those areas of service where we have a God-given passion, a measure of faith, and where God’s grace is seen in our ministries.
Furthermore, our effectiveness and fruitfulness can only be by our faith and God’s grace. We can naturally, comfortably and with a sense of fulfilment, serve the Lord, if we do it by faith and God’s grace is upon it.
The above is an excerpt from the book Effective Kingdom Function. To download your copy, go to Amazon.com or click the button below:
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Phil Spence is an author, speaker, mentor and musician. He leads Enlarj, a relational apostolic network influencing more than 20 nations. He oversees School of the Kingdom in many of these nations. Phil is internationally recognised as an apostle. Phil may be contacted via phil@enlarj.com
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