Daily devotion – The best gift?
Acts 9:6
“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
When Saul met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, his first response was not “Why me?” or “What do I get out of this?”—but “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” That is the surrendered heart of a servant, ready to be directed by the Lord into whatever task He desires.
I remember in Bible College being asked a simple question: “What is the best gift of the Spirit?” After much study and debate among us, the answer came—“The best gift is the one that is most needed at that moment.”
This truth brings clarity. If someone is gravely ill, the best gift would be healing. If you face a weighty decision, wisdom is what is needed most. Paul writes:
“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31)
In life, we’ve all received gifts that, while kind, didn’t meet a real need—like being given a shovel when what you actually needed was a scalpel. In the same way, the Spirit gives gifts to meet the actual need of the moment, not to gather dust on a shelf.
So it is with the Church. Needs shift and change: at one moment, it may require builders and painters; at another, teachers, encouragers, or intercessors. Sometimes the greatest gift to the Body is someone willing to pick up a vacuum, wipe down a chair, or simply be present in prayer.
Pastor Chuck Smith always had young men line up outside his office during the school holiday period, each simply waiting to be told what task the Church needed done that day. It might be sweeping floors, moving chairs, going on an errand, or carrying boxes. But out of that posture of willingness grew many of the pastors who now shepherd Calvary Chapel congregations worldwide.
The lesson is clear: the best way to serve Christ is to make yourself available—ready to be used in whatever way the Lord chooses.
“For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.” (1 Cor. 7:7)
The true question is not, “What is my gift?” but, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”…and I am also ready to do it!