The Purpose of PentecostSample

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Here in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul takes a considerable amount of time to talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit—an area of our faith that he knew could easily be misunderstood, and so he encourages us to not be uninformed.

One of the most important things we need to understand about these gifts is that they are an expression of God’s love to the world. They are tools that God has given us to help live out the Lord’s Prayer, “on earth as it is in heaven.” 

God wants us to eagerly desire these gifts, but not from a place of self-service, rather for service to others. It’s interesting to me that there are nine specific gifts listed in this passage, which complement the nine fruits of the Spirit we read yesterday. A dove, the common picture used to represent the Holy Spirit, has nine primary feathers in each of its wings, and as the body of Christ, we need both wings of the dove operating the fruits and gifts of the Spirit to be balanced and effective. These gifts are available to us and are to be expressed with wisdom and from the basis of love.

How can you take the time to understand and cultivate the gifts God has made available to us?

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for the incredible power You have made available to us. I ask You to give us the wisdom and love to know how best to use Your gifts to edify the body of Christ and display Your love to the world. Amen.