Using Your Gift

Tuesday December 9, 2014

The 2013 film Frozen tells the story of a troubled princess named Elsa who possessed a special gift - the power to create ice and snow. We´re not talking about making iced tea. No - with a flick of the wrist, this princess could unleash a blizzard that would instantly turn a warm summer day into a cold winter wonderland.

But as a young girl, Elsa´s gift nearly resulted in the death of her sister Anna. Scared that she couldn´t control her special ability, the princess chose to hide it and live alone in fear. By the end of the film, however, Elsa discovered that genuine love was not only the key to controlling her powers for the god of others, but it also opened the door to restoring relationships that years of fear and misunderstanding had stolen.

The apostle Paul longed for the young, upstart church in Corinth to make the same discovery about the power of love when it came to their "special abilities" (1 Corinthians 12:1). Apparently questions and misunderstandings over the meaning of "spiritual gifts" had arisen that threatened to drive the young local church apart. Paul reminded them that all spiritual gifts were important and were "given to each of us so we can help each other" (v. 7). He wanted them to understand that the highest virtue of all - love  - holds the key to the exercising of their gifts and the resolution of the tensions that threatened their unity.

None of us comes close to living up to Paul´s famous description of genuine love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), but with God´s help we can grow into "a way of life" that is "best of all" (1 Corinthians 12:31).

Rather than allow fear and misunderstanding to pull us apart, let´s show love; it has the power to knit us together. - Jeff Olson

Read
1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:7
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 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.
Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Question to Ponder
How have you struggled with thinking your spiritual gift is less important or more important than others?
What fears might be holding you back from exercising your gifts for God´s glory?

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 issue