God will give gifts upon men for at least three reasons: to meet a need, to empower for a position, and to fulfill His providence. When we are gifted, we must not make this mistake of equating giftedness with character or maturity. One can be gifted but not rooted. The effectiveness of the ministry or life of the person that is gifted but not rooted will be short-lived. Your gift may accomplish a goal for a time, but without being rooted, one’s stability and or effectiveness will wane. Samson, Saul, Balaam are three examples of people who were gifted, but not being rooted, waned in their effectiveness in God’s work, and failed in their own personal lives. Root your gift in love for God, and love for others, so you remain fruitful and effective in your life and ministry.

Need

The story of Samson shows an example of God giving spiritual gifts to meet a need.

Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Judges 13:25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.Despite sinning against God, and others, he still maintained the gift until he broke the covenant. Israel had a need for a deliverer. God used Samson to deliver the Israelites from Philistine’s oppression. God used Samson’s passions as an opportunity to ignite trouble with the Philistines. In fact, almost every feat recorded, it was a passionate personal reason that gave the opportunity.

God gave Samson the gift to break the oppression of the Philistines. Even with Samson’s flaws, God continued to use him to break the need. However, Samson’s flaws eventually became his downfall.

God gives us a gift to meet a need, but we must endeavor to walk in love. The gift is not a sign of spiritual strength. Our growth and maturity are measured by how we walk in the love of God. Therefore, God will use you with spiritual gifts to fill the needs in a local congregation or a ministry. But to be rooted in God’s kingdom and service, we must walk in love.

Position

John 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

Caiaphas the high priest prophesied, unintentionally, of Christ dieing for the nation. God allowed him to prophesy correctly because of his position as high priest. Coming through the mouth of the high priest, it served as a witness. God used him as the high priest to prophesy of the purpose of Christ’s death.

God will manifest certain gifts through you because of the position that you hold. Being in a place of spiritual leadership, God will use you in spiritual gifts so that those you are leading may benefit from it. 

God anointed King Saul and transformed him by the Spirit so that he could rule as king. But Saul did not obey God. God gave him the gift so he can perform in the position as king, but he needed to be rooted through obedience to God.

Providence

Numbers 23:16, 19-20 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

Balaam, God allowed him to prophesy correctly because of the providence upon the children of Israel. God had chosen Israel and promised that they would inherit the land of Canaan. By God’s providence, this would come to pass. 

Balaam could only but prophesy what God by his providence would perform. God had pronounced blessings upon Israel.

It is God’s providence for souls to be saved, and for the Church to advance. Therefore, God will use people to fulfill His providence. As such, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). While you are being used to fulfill God’s providence, remember to be rooted in God’s plan through His love.

We should all endeavor to walk in love. You want to operate in love. Let the gift that God has placed in your life manifest in love. Without love, God may use the gifts to accomplish his purpose, but you may miss out on fully understanding God’s will. Without walking in love, you are less effective in the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Without love, we are just noisy, and without profit. Love causes us to be effective, and to be fruitful in the kingdom. Root your spiritual life in love; root your ministry in love; root your position in love; root your giftedness in love. Without love, you will not endure in being effective in God’s kingdom.

Two Areas of love

Loving God

This means keeping his commandments.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Loving People

This means selflessly serving others and showing others compassion. To do ministry with power, we must lay down our lives to serve others with our gifts. It is not enough to have gifts that we conveniently use. But it is to disown ourselves, sacrifice ourselves so that others can receive the things of God as it flows through our lives.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 3:16-17 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

Pray and ask God for the grace to walk in His love, as you operate in spiritual gifts and talents. Pray the following prayer, paraphrased from Ephesians 4:16-19:

Lord, I pray that according to the riches of your glory that you strengthen me with power through your Spirit in my inner man, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith—that being rooted and grounded in love, I may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God.