1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 12Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. Verse 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Verse 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Verse 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; Verse 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; Verse 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. Verse 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Verse 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, Verse 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, Verse 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. Verse 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Devotion
Some folks decline offers of help they receive by saying, “No, thanks. I’m good.” Do you sometimes refuse useful assistance? It’s hard to accept, and harder to admit, we need help. We likely realize we don’t have every ability necessary for all situations. It’s an age-old concern. Paul told the Corinthians that God gives everyone gifts, but different types. He shared a partial list that included examples of varieties of “gifts,” “services,” and “activities” (vv. 4-6). This list wasn’t ranked from greatest to least important gifts—every gift can be useful. Paul also made it clear nobody receives all the gifts. God intends us to share our gifts with our communities. By doing so, we can better meet challenging transitions encountered in our life together. Therefore, we shouldn’t try to “go it alone” on our journeys. God calls us to journey together and share our gifts for everyone’s common good.
Prayer
God of all, forgive us when our pride stops us from accepting the help offered by our neighbors. Please prompt us to share—to both give and receive—the gifts you provide to all people. Amen.
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