1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7, Mark 10:45
The Gift Most Taken for Granted
The church building is set up, the chairs are in place, the coffee is ready, the sound system is working, the newcomer is welcomed, the elderly member is driven to hospital, the grieving family has meals for a week. None of this happens without the gift of helps.
The gift of helps (antilēmpsis — 1 Corinthians 12:28, from the word for supporting or coming to the aid of someone) is the Spirit-given ability to serve the practical needs of others and the community in ways that free others to fulfil their calling.
What the Gift Is
The gift of helps is characterised by:
- A genuine joy in practical, behind-the-scenes service that others often find tedious or unrewarding
- A strong attentiveness to the practical needs of individuals and the community
- The satisfaction of seeing others enabled to do their work because their practical needs have been met
- Dependability and follow-through — the person with this gift does what they say they will do
Paul lists "serving" (diakonia — Romans 12:7) as a separate but related gift: the general capacity for Spirit-empowered service in various forms. The person with this gift, Paul says, should "serve" — exercise it, use it, throw themselves into it.
The Dignity of Service
Jesus' most striking statement about His own mission: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45). Service is not the lowest rung of kingdom activity — it is the shape of Christ's own life and the pattern He calls His followers to imitate.
The culture of most churches elevates preaching and leadership; the New Testament elevates service. The body image of 1 Corinthians 12 makes the point: the eye is prominent and visible, but the body cannot function without the liver, the kidney, the heart — the organs that work in the background. Those with the gift of helps are the body's vital organs.
Recognising the Gift
Signs of the gift of helps: a strong satisfaction in practical tasks done well; the ability to notice practical needs others miss; a willingness to do unglamorous work without complaint; a consistent pattern of quietly making things work that would otherwise fail.