The Gifts

UV 475/10,000 I Corinthians 14 v 12 The Gifts 1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. We must be zealous or eager to seek and receive spiritual gifts that cause us to excel as shining lights in the world, that together we who make up the church would be like a city built on a hill. There are a variety of spiritual gifts: the gift of visions, the gift of tongues, the gift of interpretation of tongues and visions, the gift of teaching, the gift of healing, the gift of deliverance, the gift of prophecy, the gift of administration or leadership, the gift of wisdom and the word of knowledge and so on. All these gifts are imparted by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of ministry in the church. They are not meant for our personal glorification or aggrandizement as many have done. We need to be good stewards of these gifts. It is given for the common good but it works in us in an uncommon way. The gifts are given that we may excel. Our excellence should lead to the growth or increase in faith or expansion or building of the church- the kingdom of God on earth. When non believers excel they point people to themselves as the source of light and goodness. When believers excel, they point to God as the author of light and goodness. Many people are contented with a saved soul and a wasted life. Many people become complacent that once their souls are saved, they need to do nothing further to prove themselves. But, this uni-verse underlines the call to excellence of each of us as individuals and as one body. The use of the word, “ zealous” means that we should be passionate about the use of our God-given abilities, talents, opportunities and spiritual gifts. The gifts do not remain static but grow as we put them to use for the common good. We need to discern what our individual gifts are and diligently use it for the growth, internal and external of the church. We need to exercise the gifts with a spirit of love and not one of pride, selfish ambition or conceit. We must never forget that these being gifts are not a reflection of us but of the Giver- the One who gives good gifts. The moment we begin to think that it is on account of our own merit or virtue, we become like the moon who assumes that the light that is reflected from the sun is its own. We are only reflecting the light of the Son. We are ugly like the moon’s surface, full of dry craters but in the light of the Son,we appear beautiful, gifted and precious. Prateep V Philip