Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The confusion of Gifting and Growth

The true index of Christian maturity is not the possession of gifts of the Spirit, but the production of the fruit of the Spirit - Luther
How do we recognise a maturing and growing Christian, someone who is becoming as the name suggests - Christ-like.

Often we equate gifting with growth and maturity. If God has given someone the gift of prophecy then they must be mature. If God has given someone the gift of preaching or leadership they must be very mature.

We must not confuse gifting with growth. Gifting is what God gives us by an act of his grace, growth is what he produces in us over time through testing and trails.

Growth is seen in a leader, not by the mere fact of them being a leader, but in them being a leader who is steady in faith when everything is heading south, a leader who loves continuously even when being betrayed, a leader who is reliable when everyone else lets people down, a leader who endures through unbearable suffering. That’s maturity!

Catch more of these thoughts on the video below:

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