What is the most forgotten spiritual gift that God gives?

The forgotten spiritual gift!

What is the most forgotten spiritual gift that God gives? How can it ironically be one of the greatest blessings your church could receive?

Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift from God and nobody is forgotten. The New Testament discusses how believers can be equipped to better serve the church and the world (1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Romans 12, etc.).

The gifts given to believers include healing, preaching, teaching, wisdom, and many others. Each has had countless sermons and written Bible studies that expose their particular virtues and usefulness within the church. There is a spiritual gift, however, which is usually overlooked or soon forgotten if discovered.

The irony is that those with the forgotten spiritual gift can make a significant contribution to their church and community. They are usually some of the people most involved in charities and use their skills and time to spread the gospel around the world.

One day some righteous religious leaders asked Jesus for a divorce. His response was that God originally intended people to stay married. Those who divorce (for reasons other than sexual immorality) and remarry, according to Christ, commit adultery (Matthew 19: 1 - 9).

After hearing his response, the disciples conclude that it is better not to get married at all. Jesus' response to the declaration of his disciples reveals information about a special, but usually forgotten, spiritual gift that God gives.

But he said to them: “Not everyone can receive this word, but only those to whom it has been given. Because there are eunuchs who were born that way from the womb.

and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive him (the affirmation that it is better not to marry), let him receive "(Matthew 19:11 - 12).

The spiritual gift of serving God as an unmarried person requires at least two things. The first is that the power to do so must be "given" (Matthew 19:11) of the Eternal. The second thing required is that the person be willing to exercise the gift and feel capable of accomplishing what it requires (verse 12).

There are many people in the scriptures who were single all their lives and served God, or who remained single after the loss of a mate to devote themselves to him. They include the prophet Daniel, Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36 - 38), John the Baptist, the four daughters of Philip the Evangelist (Acts 21: 8 - 9), Elijah, the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 16: 1 - 2), the apostle Paul and, of course, Jesus Christ.

A higher call
The apostle Paul knew firsthand that those who choose to serve, unmarried, sought a higher spiritual calling than those who serve while married.

Paul, sometime before his conversion at the age of 31, was almost certainly married, given the social norms of the time and the fact that he was a Pharisee (and probably a member of the Sanhedrin). His partner died (comes as an understanding for a married and single state - 1 Corinthians 7: 8 - 10) sometime before he started persecuting the church (Acts 9).

After his conversion, he was free to spend three full years in Arabia, teaching directly from Christ (Galatians 1:11 - 12, 17 - 18) before facing the dangerous life of a traveling evangelist.

I wish all men were equal to myself. But everyone has his gift of God; one is like this and another is like this. Now I tell the unmarried and the widows that it is good for them if they can stay like me.

The man who is not married is concerned about the things of the Lord - how he can please the Lord. But those who are married have concerns about the things of this world: how they can please their wife. . .

Now I'm telling you for your benefit; not to put a snare in your way, but to show you what is suitable, so that you can be devoted to the Lord without distraction (1 Corinthians 7: 7 - 8, 32 - 33, 35, HBFV)

Why does someone who serves the unmarried have a higher spiritual calling and a gift from God? The first and obvious reason is that those who are single have significantly more time to devote to him since they do not have to spend time pleasing a mate (1 Corinthians 7:32 - 33) and maintaining a family.

Unmarried ones can set their minds full-time to fulfill God's will and satisfy it spiritually, without the distractions of married life (1 Corinthians 7:35).

More importantly, unlike any other spiritual gift (which are improvements or additions to a person's abilities), the gift of singularity cannot be fully exercised without first having a tremendous continuous sacrifice from those who use it.

Those who wish to serve unmarried must be willing to deny themselves the blessing of a close relationship with another human being in marriage. They must be willing to give up the benefits of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom, such as sex, the joy of having children and having someone close to them to help them with life. They must be willing to suffer losses and focus on the spiritual side of life to serve the greater good.

Encouragement to serve
Those who are able to give up the distractions and commitments of marriage to devote themselves to service can make an equally great contribution, in reality many times greater, to society and the church than those who are married.

Those who may have the spiritual gift of being single should not be rejected or forgotten, especially within the church. They should be encouraged to seek what their special calling from God might be.