The Parable of Giftings

.... Spiritual gifts are intended to point us to Jesus in a way that will edify the whole church. They are exciting spiritual manifestations that can be powerfully used in cooperating with this intention. But sometimes, Christians can become too zealous over the gifts themselves and lose their intended focus on Jesus (1 Corinthians 14:12). And when that happens, they begin to act selfishly. So to keep our discussion on track, let’s discuss the overall context for the gifts by way of a parable:

.... Let’s say you've invited someone to lunch, and you've offered to pay for it. We would say that you've made them a gift of that meal, and of course your desire for fellowship was one of the main reasons behind this.

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.... Now let’s say you took them out again a week later because you enjoyed their company. If you did this, the second meal would be considered an additional gift – even if you ate exactly the same things again.

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.... In the weeks that followed, you might even decide to take them to lunch frequently; but even so, you would not necessarily be giving them a meal ticket. Each time you invited them, a distinct, new gift would be given: each additional meal would be considered a new gift, and you would probably become disappointed if they lost the focus on fellowship, and the meal itself became all that mattered to them.

.... When we discuss spiritual gifts, it is helpful to keep this sort of understanding in mind. Every gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and the giving of that gift belongs to God anew on each and every occasion, even if we operate in the same spirituals frequently.

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.... Sometimes, especially in the gift of tongues, God allows the gift to flow in our lives very freely, virtually at our will, although each utterance is actually a distinct, new gift in itself (Acts 2:4). In other cases, this condition is much more pronounced. Prophecy, for example, does not come by the will of men at all, but we may only speak as the Holy Spirit moves us (2 Peter 1:21).

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.... Keeping this perspective in mind helps us remain thankful to God and maintain a responsible attitude in ministering the gifts. We will not presume on Him this way, nor use His gifts selfishly. Finally and most importantly, this understanding will promote the context of a relationship rather than an arrangement; and in the following articles we’ll give specific examples of how this understanding applies.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4