In her recent book Gifted to Lead, Nancy Beach makes the following statement:
No mistake was made in heaven when God gave you the gift of leadership or teaching. Every gift you have came from the hand of a loving Father who crafted you.
When taken apart from her egalitarian beliefs, this statement elicits complete agreement. I also believe that God does not make mistakes when he gives gifts to believers. I further agree that God intends believers to exercise those gifts, to his glory and for the good of the church.
But I would also add this statement to Beach's:
No mistake was made in heaven when God authored the qualifications in Scripture concerning the exercising of spiritual gifts. Every gift you have been given should be exercised according to the qualifications laid down by your wise and loving Father.
What I tried to capture with that statement is the fact that the Bible places limits on how and when spiritual gifts can be exercised. Beach and other egalitarians seem to miss this point. Christians certainly receive spiritual gifts from the Father, but that fact does not mean that Christians can exercise those gifts however they please. In a variety of contexts, the Bible places qualifications on the exercising of spiritual gifts.
In texts such as 1 Timothy 2:9-15, qualifications are placed on women. A woman may indeed possess the gifts of leadership and teaching, but the presence of such gifts does not mean that she may exercise them in a way that violates these qualifications. So, a woman who is gifted to teach should indeed exercise her gift of teaching, but she must do so in a way that honors the qualifications in Scripture.
There are qualifications placed on men as well. A man who has been given the gift of teaching cannot exercise that gift however he pleases. For example, if he has not been called and set apart as an elder/pastor, he cannot teach in the congregation whenever he would like, even if he believes he has been given the gift of teaching. The exercising of his gift is qualified by the scriptural teaching concerning elders/pastors and its application within the life of the congregation.
Jesus himself expressed this principle in his own earthly ministry. Jesus possessed unequaled Spirit-gifting, yet he acknowledged that there were qualifications placed on his earthly ministry by the Father. Specifically, Jesus spoke of not being able to do anything unless it was willed by his Father (John 5:19, 8:28). So, Jesus' miracles and teaching were all in accord with the will of the Father. In a certain sense, then, Jesus taught and worked as he did not primarily because he was gifted to do so, but because such things had been willed by his Father.
My point is that the presence of Spirit-gifting is not the last word concerning ministry within the church. Believers must exercise their gifts, but they must do so in ways that honor the qualifications and commands of Scripture. Gifting does not trump such qualifications and commands. God certainly knows what he is doing when he gives gifts to his children. Beach is right; God does not make mistakes. But God also knows and expects his Word to be followed and obeyed. Christians, in whatever context they may find themselves, can and should exercise their gifts in such a way that honors both the Spirit's gifting and the qualifications and commands in Scripture.