“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, NLT). Spiritual gifts are also listed in Ephesians 4:11, and Romans 12:6-13.
Christmas. It is the time of gift-giving when God gave us the greatest gift of all–His son, Jesus Christ. Because Jesus willingly fulfilled His spiritual purpose, the Holy Spirit continually imparts spiritual gifts to those who follow Him. These are gifts that the Lord has chosen for us to help build and edify believers in Jesus Christ. Whatever spiritual gifts God has chosen for you and for me, we must use each gift for the benefit of the body of Christ. When using our spiritual gifts properly and in the way that the Holy Spirit desires, believers are encouraged, trained in righteousness, unified in purpose, and receive a passion to share the Good News that Jesus Christ brings to a lost world.
Whatever gifts the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you, allow Him to use them in your life. Don't neglect them (1 Timothy 4:14a). Only use them under His divine direction for His purpose. If they are not exercised humbly in His power and in His anointing they will remain fruitless. No one will be edified. His purpose will not be served, and in fact, spiritual damage may be the result. You and I are absolutely accountable for all He has given to us. What we do with each gift and how we use each gift reveals if God's desires are fulfilled or not. If you in humility surrender each gift to His hand, He will use each gift in your life to bring about His purpose. Through each gift, appropriately exercised in His power, lives will change. Believers will seek Him; prayer will become a way of life; the Word will bring life to dry bones, and the church will rise to become His instrument of power for greater service.
The Lord has chosen your gifts wisely. He knows you intimately, but for you to know and exercise the gifts that He has chosen for you, you must know Him intimately. You seek Him, and not any gift. You do not choose your gifts. He chooses, and bestows as He wishes because He knows which gifts are the best for you. Love Him only....not what He bestows. Open your heart to receive, and use what He pours into you. Don't ever neglect what He has chosen for your greatest potential. When you have experienced what He can accomplish through your surrendered life, you yearn to be consumed by all of His power. You cry out in complete surrender, just as Peter did, “Lord, wash all of me!”
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