What does Romans 12:7 mean?

Paul has described an amazing thing every Christian is meant to do. In fact, this is the first thing Paul describes when launching into how we should live in response to God giving us mercy in Christ. Every Christian receives God's Holy Spirit when we come to faith in Christ. The Spirit brings with Him spiritual gifts that God intends for us to use to serve each other in the church. Each of us is given different gifts to use for different purposes, but our universal command is to use those gifts according to the will of God.

Paul lists two more of those gifts in this verse. The first is the gift of serving. This gift of service, sometimes called "helps," is the ability to step in and meet the practical needs of individuals or the church as a whole. People with the gift of service often don't realize that it is, indeed, a gift. They assume that everyone can zero in on what another person needs help with and to provide that help at the right time and in the right way. They're wrong, though. The body of Christ could not function if those with the gift of service neglected their role in the church.

The second gift mentioned is teaching, and its one that most of us think of as a primary role in the church. It is the supernatural ability, in the Spirit, to make clear to a diverse group of hearers what God's Word means. The early church relied heavily on Spirit-gifted teachers to help believers understand the truth, just as we do today.