⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;

Today we come to the second of seven spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12.

⁷ if service,

“Service” is a general term for ministry. There are people in the local church who have a special ability to serve others. All of us serve others, but people with the gift of service have a special capacity from God for helping others.

in [devoted to the gift of] our serving;

The “in” in this phrase in verse seven refers to devotion to the Lord by using our gifts. Devotion is the sphere in which our gift operates. Discipline is needed to exercise our gifts properly. This involves perseverance, also. It is important to excel in what God has given us. It is easy to be sidetracked into other pursuits.

The gift of service should function like a special, supernatural endowment from God. Unlike others who also serve with their particular gifts, people with the gift of service have a unique ability to give themselves to others.

PRINCIPLE:

God expects us to be devoted to the gift He gives us.

APPLICATION:

The gift of service is the capacity to personally minister to other believers in a unique way. Since God specially endowed each believer with a capacity to serve the body of Christ, He expects us to be devoted to using it for His glory.