Family Faith:

If asked what your spiritual gift is, what would your answer be? Do you know instantly that your gift is hospitality and that you enjoy entertaining in your home? Do you have a passion for prayer and find yourself often thinking of and praying for others throughout your day? Have you been gifted to lead in different settings? Do you enjoy teaching others and find pleasure in their enthusiasm?

Most of us know what we take pleasure in doing, and quite often that is what we are gifted in. When we are Christians, we are to use those gifts to build up others in the body of Christ. Some of us are aware of our gifting, while others wonder what they are good at and how they can contribute to serving God. I have heard the stories of individuals on both sides of this spectrum.

In being a part of the Body of Christ, we are to serve in our giftedness, but also bear the fruit of the Spirit in doing so. For example, a leader who lords over the church body is not exercising the fruit of the Spirit necessary to fulfill God’s will in their service. A pastor who is prideful is not exercising humility. An individual who hosts people in his or her home with a grumbling spirit is not showing fruit by their bitterness.

“If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (Romans 12: 6b-8, Holy Bible, New International Version).

We are all human. If we are run down, going though an illness, stressed, enduring a life trial, etc., we cannot effectively serve, and we cannot do it with the fruit of the Spirit needed to demonstrate love to our fellow man. This is where the integration of theology and psychology enter in. We are made up of frailties, a propensity to sin, physical and mental illness, and we are flesh — weak, tired and even rebellious at times. It is important for us to recognize when self-care or rest are necessary to operate optimally as Christians.

As I type, I am on an airplane flying to my own vacation. This has been a difficult year for me. I was in a situation where I worked too many hours and had too little time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life that make us better people: family, sleep, exercise and recreation.

We must not over spiritualize our lives to the point where our schedules themselves are spiritualized with service to the point that our emotions and bodies finally bear the mark of workaholism — and the fruit of the Spirit is no longer evident.

So again I ask, “What are your spiritual gifts?” Are you using this gift well, enjoying it, and bearing fruit in the midst of your service? Or are you burned out? If you are the latter, it is time to recoup, rest, seek God, and rediscover yourself — and find again pleasure in your gift. In this way, we can serve God with joy and grace for our fellow man, instead of life feeling like a burden — because this was never God’s intent for us.

 The Rev. KIMBERLIE ZAKARIAN can be reached by e-mail at holyhouse9@ gmail.com or by mail at Holy House Ministries c/o the Rev. Kimberlie Zakarian MS, La Vie Counseling Center, 650 Sierra Madre Villa, Suite 110, Pasadena, CA 91107.