1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were gentiles you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (NRSVUE)
We are several weeks into the New Year, and many resolutions have been abandoned or forgotten. It doesn’t take long, especially if the resolutions really don’t fit you or your personality. Back in college, the advice received while looking for employment was, “Work on your strengths, and the other skills will just follow along.” It took me a long time to figure out what that meant, but I think they were saying, don’t try to make yourself into someone else, just take what you were given and make the most of it. Paul is saying the same thing: everyone has a gift from the Holy Spirit. It might not be the same as your best friend, or a leader at church, but it is a gift that needs recognition, developing, nurturing, and daily use. His list of gifts is not comprehensive by any means, but is a list that shows that no one has everything in terms of gifts. We need to put our gifts together to work for the common good, both here on earth and for the kingdom of God. I am so grateful for our small group that meets to study God’s word and socialize, because each of us have different gifts that complement each other. We have gifts of knowledge of God’s word, wisdom of how to use God’s word in our life, the gift of lifting others up, several gifts of prayer and caring for others, leadership and other gifts of the Spirit that keep emerging the more we meet. The lesson Paul is giving us is to take what the Spirit gives us and work to make it the strongest part of our lives, working together with others to make a real difference in the lives of people around us.
Maybe our forgotten resolutions weren’t based on our strengths, and we didn’t have the fortitude to carry them out. Try a resolution based on your own spiritual gift, and share it with someone. You might be surprised how it blossoms into something bigger and more helpful to others!
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you identified your gift from the Holy Spirit?
- Is it the same gift that others see in you?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for your spiritual gifts. Help us recognize our own gifts so we can use them to work together for others. Grow in us your wisdom to see gifts in others when they cannot see them. In your name we pray, Amen.
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