Ephesians 4:7

Whereas each believer has received grace (unmerited favor and divine enablement) from God (Ephesians 3:2), God does not give each Christian the same measure of grace. Paul spoke of God’s gift of grace here as ability to serve God. Though Jews and Gentiles both receive enabling grace from God, God gives this ability to different individuals differently (cf. Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6). [Note: For defense of the view that spiritual gifts are ministries rather than abilities, see Kenneth Berding, "Confusing Word and Concept in ’Spiritual Gifts’: Have We Forgotten James Barr’s Exhortations?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43:1 (March 2000):37-51.]

"Gifts are not toys to play with. They are tools to build with. And if they are not used in love, they become weapons to fight with . . . (1 Corinthians 12-14)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:37.]