Monday, August 6, 2012

Monday Thought -- August 6, 2012


Good Morning Friends,

“Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts.  And now I will show you the most excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 12:29-13:3)

Wouldn’t it be great to have spiritual gifts that are obvious and clearly supernatural?  To be an apostle with the spiritual authority that came with that office.  To be a prophet and be able to speak forth God’s Word with clarity, not through study, but through direct revelation from God.  To be able to stand before a group of people and expound on the Word of God in such a way that they would know that you really knew the Bible and really knew its Author.  To be able to walk on water, heal the sick, speak a language you have never learned, or interpret it.

Any of those gifts, would be something to have.  And there’s nothing wrong with desiring to be gifted in these ways and to desire to be used by God to touch people with His love and truth.  But not all of us will have those gifts, perhaps none of us will!

But all of us can allow the Lord to develop love in our lives!  And more than any supernatural gift, love will be the evidence that God is at work in our lives and love will be the tool God uses to touch others for Himself.  Love matters most.  Without love any spiritual gift that you might have is greatly diminished in its power and effectiveness, to the point that it is worthless!

Love demonstrates that we are followers of Christ. (John 13:35)

Love fulfills all of the Law.  (Romans 13:10)

The only thing that counts is faith working through love.  (Galatians 5:6)

Love matters to God.  It matters more than any gift, more than any work, more than any praise.

His, by Grace,

Steve

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