Tag: Spiritual Gifts

Desire

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.

Activity

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 12:4-13, 27-31 (day six)

The Holy Spirit is the activity of God personified. He hovers over the deep, He reveals, He teaches, He reminds, He heals, He brings life where there was none, He bears fruit, He gives gifts; where he moves things turn from black and white to vivid color. 1 Corinthians 12 is the Holy Spirit in theory; Acts is the Holy Spirit in action.

And here is another truth, as is true of Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s aim is to glorify God. He desires to draw attention to the beauty, majesty, goodness and joy of God in all His activity, especially in the life of God’s church. That is why He gives us gifts. His gifts are the other-worldly activity of God in us and through us to draw the world’s attention to the glory of God in the Gospel.

You can grieve the Holy Spirit; you can’t render Him dormant. Do this today: invite the Father to show you where the Holy Spirit is at work in your life; ask Him to show you the Spirit’s gifts.