Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Acknowledge Your Part
Have you ever seen a caricature of yourself? It’s a funny portrait, is it not? Humor is truth exaggerated, and that is exactly what a caricature is. The difference between a caricature and a portrait is the difference between exaggeration and accuracy. A caricature takes some physical trait and exaggerates it. For instance, if I happen to have slightly prominent ears, a caricature basically is an ear with legs, or if my hair has a certain kind of wave to it, the portrait will be nothing but hair. When it comes to the portrait of Christ, what we would need to portray is accuracy, unity, and health, not merely a caricature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians 4:7 it says, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” The Lord Jesus has given us and gifted us to edify or build His creation, the body. The body of Christ is a unit. It is made up of many parts. God has gifted us to have a part in His creation. That’s why the Bible says in verse 4, “There is one body, and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace.”
The point is that spiritual health comes when I acknowledge God’s creation and my part. My focus is to be on the giver more than the gift. God has gifted me, but God hasn’t gifted me to build me. He has gifted me in order to build the body of Christ. I need to focus more on my giving than on my gifting. God has given me to bless others, not merely to put the focus on me.
In verse 16 it says, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” God has gifted every one of us to serve Him and to build the body of Christ.