This thought stems from a remark made by a very dear friend, Suzie, in a text message. I had got myself in a bit of a state over something, and she sent a verse of scripture to me:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
This seemingly small thing had enabled me to get things back in perspective - naturally, I thanked her and God. In response she said: "I feel I'm just learning to let God work through me for the first time in my life, and it just feels right by God. It's amazing. God is amazing, but in a very quiet and normal way."
That made me stop to think. The first thought that came to mind concerned the 'still, small voice' - first of all in a portion of scripture:
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13
And then the last verse of a hymn (Dear Lord and Father of Mankind):
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.
(Words by JG Whittier, adapted by G Horder; in the UK it is usually sung to Parry's 'Repton')
I think we in the charismatic, evangelical, wing of the church are somehow conditioned to expect God to be loud, brash and showy in all He does - to reveal himself in the 'earthquake, wind, and fire'. I wonder whether this is perhaps because of the charismatic movement's origin in that most extrovert of societies, the USA. It might also be because of the movement's emphasis on the gifts of the spirit as outlined in Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth, and particularly the more ‘spectacular’ gifts:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Most of these, at least in the present-day charismatic evangelical (or Pentecostal) interpretation of them, are quite 'showy'. And they provide an opportunity, for those possessing them, to be seen to be serving God. That may be the right thing to do at times, but it is not without its perils - it would be all too easy to fall into the sin of pride. If I was to stand up and preach or prophesy, I suspect I would be proud of my achievement (even though it would be due, entirely, to the working of the Holy Spirit through me - requiring little more of me than my willingness to be used as a ‘conduit’). On some level at least, I might well be guilty of taking some of the glory which is due to ‘Him who is above all things’ for myself, and at that point I would fall.
I take my hat off to those who can do the 'showy' stuff without falling into that trap - they deserve my respect for doing those things for the glory of God, and my prayer is that God would grant them grace that they would not fall in the way I fear I should.
I think we, perhaps wrongly, feel inferior if we don't possess those which Paul labels as the 'greater gifts':
And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. 1 Corinthians 12: 28-31
But all the people, and their different gifts, are important, as it implies earlier in the same passage:
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:21-26 (NIV)
Most of the time, I believe, God uses His people, and the gifts He has given them, in ‘very quiet and normal ways’ - for example in the context of a few friends gathered and sharing together, or Suzie sharing a little bit of much-needed, God-given, wisdom with me. I am perfectly content with my role as a humble 'mover of chairs' within Christ's church, and have no desire to do the ‘fancy stuff’. I think God feels the same way!
Often, I think, we are barely aware that we are using our gifts at all - unless someone points it out to us! I think we owe it to each other, and to the wider church, to point out those times. We should make the most of the opportunities we are given to encourage each other to develop the gifts we have been given for the building up of the church.
Lastly, we do need to be very careful, when using our gifts, to be discerning, and to ‘test’ the things which are said and done against scripture (i.e. making sure we aren't saying things contrary to it), to make sure that we aren’t falling into error - or even heresy. That’s no less important in the context of small groups than it is in the ‘gathered church’.