1 Corinthians 12:27–28 — Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
There are several places in his letters where Paul helpfully lists the gifts given to the church for her good. This time, we want to consider the gift of "helps," or the ability to help someone. This gift may be expected to be present and to show itself in the deacons of the church, but others may have it as well, being given to expressions of love toward those who are sick or in some other need in the community of the church.
Is this something you are able to do in your fellowship? If so, are you exercising this gift as fully as you might? If you have ever been sick or in need and you have been ministered to by someone with this gift, you will know what a blessing it is. Sadly, in some parts of the world and some churches, we have lost the sense of community that should be in the church. We keep ourselves to ourselves when we are not meeting for worship, and even when we do meet, we put a fence around our personal affairs so that others will not know how we are doing or what needs we may have.
It is very difficult in these circumstances for this gift of helps to be exercised as freely as it might be. Indeed, this unwillingness of the members of the church to be open creates a difficulty for many of the gifts to be used, and for the church to grow and function as she should. Think of a body where the parts behave like they are not joined to each other and have no accountability to one another - it would be highly dysfunctional!
So let's pray for two things - first that churches may function as vibrant communities of those joined to one another and joined by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head. Second, that love may abound in the churches and that the members may learn to exercise their gifts for the good of the whole body, including this gift of helps.
