"But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) In the body of Christ, there are no big shots or little shots. God calls each to the Cross and offers gifts to all who surrender to Christ Jesus for redemption.
Mankind is notorious for competing in everything, from sports to academics. It seems that the challenge to ‘one-up’ our neighbor is a deep desire that goes all the way back to the first family when Cain killed Abel. Man feels threatened by diversity. Perhaps it is because we can’t successfully compare apples with oranges.
In the Christian Faith, we learn that the Lord imparts Spiritual gifts to every believer. This is a refreshing truth as it frees us from religious competition and allows us to be used by the Lord in spite of our obvious differences. This is the case that Paul builds beautifully in his letters to Corinth. The Lord has made each of us unique, and the Holy Spirit has graced each life with spiritual gifts to equip us for accomplishing and fulfilling his plan for our life.
In some Christian camps, leaders attempt to tell believers they must all have a similar ‘gift’ to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This goes back to our ‘apples and oranges’ analogy. This mode of thinking is faulty at best, and manipulative at worst. The Holy Spirit can not be inserted in our small-minded religious box, and the attempt to measure all believers by ‘one gift’ is a gross error.
Any gift we receive is according to God’s will, not according to the will of a religious denomination. The Holy Spirit decides which gift we are to have and he makes no mistakes. (1Cor. 12:11) We find our freedom and purpose in Christ when we refuse to allow anyone, preacher or fellow believer, to pigeon hole us into ‘one gift.’ That decision is up to Jesus, not man.
Regardless of the gift, without love, it is useless. God’s love is the supreme ethic for life. Every gift will fall tragically short of the potential to encourage and edify others if we fail to use it according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul’s argument is that God’s love trumps every Spiritual gift. (1Cor. 13:1-3) By all means, let us seek to walk in love.
Using our Spiritual gift may encourage and strengthen another believer. It may give them direction or produce a miracle in their life. It may help them with discernment or to interpret a special message. Our gift may offer hospitality or service. All of these are good, but there is something better.
When we demonstrate God's love to them, they will be drawn to the heart of God. They will experience the only true foundation that proves whether we are God’s children. God’s love and God’s love alone is… A More Excellent Way!
