Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 12:4-31 (day six)
But earnestly desire the higher gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31
We rarely get to the details of the nature of the Spirit’s gifting, mostly because we find the Spirit a bit challenging to wrap our minds around; He is like the wind after all. But here Paul urges us to desire or seek the higher gifts. When is the last time you sought after a spiritual gift or gifts? Probably not recently; I certainly can’t remember the last time I asked the Spirit for a particular gift.
Some quick implications to consider when thinking about Paul’s words:
- It would seem you can have more than one gift at a time.
- Or multiple gifts at different times, in other words your gifting could change.
- We should ask God for spiritual gifts; asking God is the natural outcome of desire.
We tend to desire knowledge (more Bible study), maybe we should desire the Spirit’s gifts, or both. Perhaps, if we desired the higher gifts (those that bring more immediate benefit to the church) we would better understand how God uses them in the body; perhaps we’d experience greater common good and growth.
Gift it a try. Starting asking God for the higher gifts. He might just answer your prayer.
I just wonder whether God did take away some higher gifts from the church? Or Maybe God decide to give certain spiritual gifts at certain times when He sees fit?
God gives diversity of gifts but how Christians use them matter! Knowledge of how God uses them matters in order to sustain the church’s existence and growth.