Many gifted Believers are sitting idle in their churches doing nothing. Because most church leaders are either ignorant of how to discover spiritual gifts in their followers and help develop them for use, or are simply selfish to allow anyone else to operate in that realm apart from them and their wives and later their children whom they would eventually hand over the church to. If a pastor does not exercise some spiritual gifts himself, how can he know what is in his members and help them? Many pastors are like that. They are ignorant of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit has blessed the church with. Some even say that the operation of spiritual gifts ended in the days of the apostles of old. Really?
Truth be told, spiritual gifts are still very operational in the church. Saying that it no longer exists is like saying that the Holy Spirit is no more in the church. Now, if spiritual gifts are not operational in a church, then that church is dead. It is as simple as that. If you are in such a church, you are in big problem. A church where the operations of the Holy Spirit is not felt is dead! That means that those who worship there are also spiritually dead. How can one be alive in the spirit when the Holy Spirit does not operate where he is?
The saddest part is when a Pastor decide to sit on people’s spiritual gifts by not allowing them to operate. This is a deliberate act in many of our churches. A lot of Pastors who flow in the gifts of healing, prophecy, casting out demons, etc., will never allow someone else in the church to do same apart from their wives and other family members. This is because many churches are run as a business enterprise for the leader’s family. They prepare their own to take over the leadership of the church when they die. This is sad. This is why in many of our churches, apart from the pastor or maybe his wife, you will never see anyone else flowing in the operation of spiritual gifts. Have you wondered why the only spiritual gift highly operational in many churches is speaking in tongues? What about the gift of healing, prophecy, casting out of demons?
Thousand people in a church claim to speak in tongues but apart from the pastor, no one can prophesy or heal in the name of Jesus Christ. Does that mean that those gifts are for the Pastor alone? No! The sad thing about this is that we have many gifted people in churches who are never allowed to function in that capacity simply because the pastor will not allow it. He does not want competition. But the house of God is not a place of competition. God has given each believer a gift for the benefit of the church. You do yours and I do mine and everyone is blessed. But many pastors are so proud and selfish, they will never allow any church member to prophesy, heal, etc.
Truth be told, the inability of many pastors to allow the people of God to exercise their giftings in the church is why you see an influx of prophesiers on Facebook! Many are doing on Facebook what no one will allow them do in a normal church setting. I am not saying that many who prophesy on Facebook are prophets, but if one with the gift of prophecy is not allowed to do so by church leadership, then Facebook becomes a welcome space to exercise one’s ability to prophesy. Believe me, the refusal of many church leaders to allow the spiritual gifts in the church to operate is one reason why many big churches die once the leader dies. That is because the church is built on the leader instead of on Christ.
Truth be told, true men of God help those they pastor to put their spiritual gifts to use. Don’t stay under someone who will put your giftings under lock and key. Such people are self serving leaders. You will never fulfill your mission under such wicked and selfish men and women of God. Let us remember that God blesses us with spiritual gifts for the advancement of the work of the kingdom. We will all give account of what we did with them on the last day. Therefore, it will be foolish of me to waste ones time under a selfish pastor who would not allow them to serve my God with the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has graciously bestowed on them to bless his people.
Discern: If you are sitting under a pastor who is not willing to help you grow your spiritual gifts and use them according to God’s plan. Seek the Holy Spirit guidance before you leave the place now or regret later. Note this, the more you sit on your spiritual gifts , the more suffering you create for yourself. God did not give you the spiritual gifts for nothing. It is to help his people and help yourself. If you refuse to use them, you become a fruitless branch that must be cut off and burnt. Wake up now and bless people with your spiritual gifts and get blessed too. Again, if your pastor cannot help you to know what your spiritual gifts are and how to use them, you are in the wrong place. Change location. Humbly tell your pastor that you are leaving the church to where you will be able to know and use what is in you to serve the Lord.
Truth be told, we are called to serve God and not man. Never allow a man to stop you from using your spiritual gifts to serve the Lord. You are the one God will ask questions and not your pastor. Remember, “the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent taketh it by force”. It is up to you fight the devil and do what God has called you to to. Don’t allow anyone to sit on your spiritual gifts. God bless you!