The Giver not the Receiver

 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,  and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."

So I haven’t written anything lately, and if you’re one of the maybe two people who actually pay attention to this, I apologize. I’d say I was busy, or other things came up, but that’s just not true. Rather, what it’s been is that I’ve not really been in the proper place for writing. I’ve been struggling personally with ego and pride to a greater extent than normal in the last few weeks, and I made the decision to not post anything during that time because I felt that I was approaching posts as something designed to bring personal glory to myself rather than what it’s intended.(to practice writing and possibly share some things from God where appropriate) However, I had a conversation Wednesday night with a dear Christian brother that helped put some things in perspective for me, so we’re going to give this a whirl.

In Corinthians, as part of discussion of the Spiritual Gifts, Paul points out that we are all given these gifts. In fact, in some teachings, the word “portion” might be used here. In much the same way that if a parent made a meal for their children, giving one child a corner piece and another child a center piece would not necessarily indicate a greater or deeper love for one child over the other, but rather a desire to provide good things to both children, God’s gifting of the Spirit is never done to indicate that one person is more special or beloved than another, but that we each have these gifts or portions to better allow us to serve the rest of the church. Peter puts it in his letter, 1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”  The purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is to share the love of God. That’s why in the middle of a teaching on the gifts in 1 Corinthians, Paul stops to deliver what is so often referred to as the “love chapter.” It’s because he is providing for us the context in which the Spirit should be shared. We are not given our gifts or our talents to bring glory to ourselves, but to bring Glory to the Giver. I am no better or smarter or holier because I have the ability to preach or teach, in much the same way a teenager who is given a brand new Lexus by their parents is better than others on the road, the gift merely shows the benevolence of the giver.

But why is this so hard? Obviously, the Fall has introduced a different tone to our views of the Gifts of God in talents, abilities, and manifestations of the Spirit, in that sin wishes for us to take these as points of pride, rather than as points of gratitude. Prayerful consideration and regular humility are essential to properly demonstrating these gifts. It can also be incredibly helpful(in my own personal experience, not necessarily based on scripture) to tie the use of the gifts in with the discipline of confession. If we are transparent about our own struggles and temptations, we are less likely to see the demonstration of the gifts as something to bring us glory, and more likely to bring the Glory to God.