Anointed to Serve

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13

Every member in the body of Christ is anointed to serve the Lord in some capacity. Some are called to minister in song or instrumentally. David's first assignment after he was anointed by Samuel the prophet was to play his harp before king Saul. The Holy Spirit so inspired his playing that when King Saul felt depressed, David would play his harp and the spirit causing the king's depression would leave. Later it became evident that David was anointed for leadership. Although he had many flaws, David became the greatest king that Israel ever had.

Romans 12:6-8 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-11 list the different gifts that believers can have and Ephesians 4:11 highlights different types of leadership gifts for those called to full-time ministry. I encourage you to prayerfully read over these scriptures and ask the Lord to show you where He's gifted you to serve. None of us flow in all the gifts, but all of us have at least one. We are called to serve the Lord with the gift(s) He has given us.

Jesus told a parable that outlined the importance of developing and using our gifts for the Master's service (See Matthew 25:14-30). He told of a man who went on a journey and entrusted his property to three servants. To one he gave five talents (worth more than five thousand dollars), to another two talents, and to the last he gave one talent each according to their ability.

Both the servant he gave five talents to and the one he gave two talents to worked diligently and doubled the amount they had. When the master returned he commended these two and said to each, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness!”

The third servant hid his money in the ground. He said he was afraid that his master was a hard man. He feared that if he would invest the talent, he might lose what he was given. The master was appalled at this servant's efforts. He gave the command to “throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This parable speaks of how we handle our finances, but it also shows the importance that Jesus placed on being good stewards of the gifts or abilities God has given us. The Lord wants us to develop our gifts and use them for His glory. There are two primary places where I believe the Lord wants us to use our gifts. These are in the church and in the world. As we are faithful with the talents God gives us, the Lord will increase what we have to give. He will add more to us and cause us to have an abundance.

Let's allow the Lord to use us to be a blessing within the context of our own giftedness. We will find that this is the most natural place for us to shine. This also is the place of the greatest joy and blessing. Jesus will help us to do our part to build the church and bring the lost into his kingdom by using our gifts in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. He will cause us to be effective and bear much fruit for His glory. Let me encourage you to discover your giftedness and determine to grow in that gift and serve with it. You will make a greater impact for the kingdom, and you'll be glad you did!