It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas — Let’s Talk About Gifts!

By Tom Stolle

For many of us, Christmas brings a mix of joy, reflection, warmth, and memories. We think about the birth of our Savior—Emmanuel, God with us. We gather with family and friends, we exchange gifts, and we celebrate the greatest gift ever given—Jesus.

I find myself thinking a lot about gifts. Not just the ones we wrap and put under a tree, but the gifts God gives—unique gifts, different gifts, gifts He places in each one of us for His purposes.

When I was a child, God used a guitar to help me learn about gifts and talents and to prepare me for how I have served Him.

My mom had this dream that her boy was going to become a guitar player. She bought me an acoustic guitar with a bright red vinyl case and signed me up for lessons. And I really tried. For two years I practiced. I put my fingers in the right place. I could play the chords. But I couldn’t make the chords make music. It didn’t come naturally to me. It drained me. It was hard. And eventually, my mom realized that playing the guitar wasn’t a gift I possessed—thankfully, she let me stop.

But one thing did come naturally to me: numbers. Anyone who knows me knows this. Numbers spoke to me. Numbers made sense. As a kid, I worked on square roots. I memorized numbers because I loved how they fit together.

I didn’t know what God was preparing me for. I didn’t know I would become a CPA or spend years doing accounting in Southern Baptist life. But when I looked at a sheet of numbers—a financial statement, an investment report—they told a story. Even now, numbers still inform my decision-making. I’m comfortable with them.

What’s interesting, though, is this: even though I couldn’t play the guitar, I gained an appreciation for it. I ended up loving what guitars can produce in the hands of those who are gifted. Guitar-based music stirs something in me to this day. Exposure to the gifts of others created a love in me for something I could never do myself.

And that’s what happens in the body of Christ.

Paul reminds us that God “has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.” Scripture says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” We all have them. All kinds of gifts. And they’re not all the same.

In our churches, among our pastors, staff, leaders, and members, God distributes all sorts of gifts. Some people are gifted in areas others are not—and we’re thankful for every one of them. Not everyone is wired for finance, and pastors who aren’t finance people are incredibly grateful for those who are. Aren’t you thankful for the ladies who minister to other ladies in your church and draw them closer to Jesus? Aren’t you thankful for those who are called to love and teach the children? Aren’t you thankful for your elders who come alongside you and hold you accountable?

Paul says there is “one body and one Spirit.” Yet God brings us together with diversity in gifting to be one—bound together as believers.

There are churches gifted in ministries we could never do ourselves. Some excel in one area while others excel in another. No church does everything. No believer has every gift. But God designed the body of Christ so that, together, He accomplishes His purposes. It’s beautiful.

We need churches passionate about senior adults. We need churches ready to respond when disaster strikes. We need churches gifted in disability ministry. We need churches committed to revitalization and church planting. We need it all. And God uses all of it. It’s His church.

As I’ve served the BCM/D for over 21 years, I have gained a deep appreciation for so many things our churches do—things I never would have imagined. It is awesome to serve alongside 400-plus churches that proclaim Jesus as Lord, share the gospel with lost people, and pursue the ministries God has specifically gifted them for.

Not every church can do every ministry. But together, we become one. It’s God’s church.

Tom Stolle serves as the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.