Todays Reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages , to another, interpretation of languages. 11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Given to Each Person to Produce the Beneficial by Lisa Barron Different spiritual gifts are mentioned throughout the New Testament, so you have to wonder why Paul is selecting these particular spiritual gifts to highlight. Healing, faith, wisdom, knowledge and performing miracles would certainly be at the very top of the spiritual gift list if there was such a ranking. We can be quite certain some of the Corinthians’ pride focused on the possession of certain gifts they had. This kind of arrogance probably resulted in many seeking to obtain gifts God had not given them, while leaving others to feel that their gifts offered no valuable contribution. Spiritual gifts are spiritual in that they are given by the Holy Spirit and produce spiritual results. Even some of the most mundane activities can have a huge impact. They differ from our natural abilities in that they produce spiritual fruit. Gifts are given. We have to be careful to not boast about the gifts we are granted, but instead we should boast about the Giver. For me, my understanding changed when I participated in a PLACE class at my church to find out about my passions and my gifts. I attended the class as a requirement for membership and I left changed. For years, in a previous marriage, I was told about how I was wired wrong and backwards. PLACE class showed me how the very things I believed were wrong with me, God had actually created in me on purpose. They were intentional gifts to be used for His glory. It was so freeing! I then began to see that God wanted to use those gifts to advance His kingdom. I had a new-found enthusiasm and confidence to serve where I knew God wanted me to serve. So like the Corinthians, we can get hung up on comparing spiritual gifts. No gift is the best gift and no gift is too small. Spiritual gifts are not evidence of our spirituality, but evidence of the Spirit’s presence in our lives, “distributing to each person as He wills” (verse 11). Praxis Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Pray for God to reveal to you what He has purposed for your life. Along with PLACE, there are guided classes to discover your gifts and passions. If you have never participated in uncovering your gifts, the new year is a great time to invest in finding out what those are. Are you using your gifts? Do you need to make room in your life to be more intentional about sharing your gifts? Our gifts are meant to be shared and to help others. You are a vital part of His plan. Accept how God made you. He does great work and makes no mistakes. Evaluate what lies you need to throw out of your life so that you can fully embrace His purpose for you.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 06:04:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015