1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts. That’s the header
on chapter 12 in my Bible. What are spiritual gifts?
I get a little nervous about this topic,
because it is one that people get pretty passionate about. The most important
things to remember in talking about spiritual gifts is that they are given to
build God’s people up and to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.
One of the things that makes me nervous
about spiritual gifts is a prevalent thought that once you identify your
spiritual gift, that is the way you will serve in the church. So we have a
series of gifts as they are listed here in 1 Corinthians 12, but also in Romans
12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. There seem to be a thought that all you need to
do is figure out which gift is your gift and then you will know how to serve
God. Does it stand to reason then that if I don’t have a gift I don’t serve God
that way? We must be careful to not use spiritual gifts as an excuse to not
serve the Lord.
Spiritual gifts also sometimes become a
point of pride by which we compare ourselves to one another. This was happening
in Corinth. Thus Paul’s explanation regarding the body of Christ is very
important.
An important passage to keep in mind
when we talk about spiritual gifts is James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father of lights . . . .” Whatever gift you have, spiritual or
otherwise, it is a gift from God. Some are mechanics. Some are writers. Yet
others are gifted with numbers, logistics, cooking, business, carpentry, art,
electronics, medicine, and more. These
gifts are usually displayed in our work or, as we can also call it, our vocations.
God created each of us to be unique, and
our gifts are part of that uniqueness. Jesus’ blood cleanses our entire lives
and now all of those unique gifts can be used in God’s service. How? As the
Holy Spirit guides and enlightens us we have the opportunity to show our love
for God and our neighbor as we live in Jesus’ forgiveness. Our gifts are also
God’s gracious tools to give us opportunity to share the love we have
experienced in Christ with our fellow Christians and all people.
Lord, help me recognize my gifts, use them
in Your service and thank you for them. Amen.
Comments