Gifts That Build Up the Church

The Spirit Comes
Woven together in Love

Gifts of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 14:1-5  The Message

14 ^1-3 Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you’re letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.

^4-5 The one who prays using a private “prayer language” certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God’s truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don’t stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It’s more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God’s presence in a mysterious prayer language—unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.

For Reflection

 You are known by what you say, what you do, and what others say about you.  The first two you can control; the last one, not so much.  However, controlling what you say and do influences what others say about you. Because you profess Christianity, what you say and do  is a witness to the character of God.  You, in your every day affairs bear witness to the Holy Spirit.  It is a precious gift, a gift you pass to others.

Pray

that your behavior reflects the mystery of love that is our God.  Pray that you will, by your common actions, be an authentic witness to the love of God.