“But to
each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (v.7)
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the
purpose for which the Lord gave them their spiritual gifts. Before he listed
the diversity of gifts (vv.8-10), he reminded them that “a spiritual gift is
given to each of us so we can help each other” (v.7). God does not give His
spiritual gifts for our own selfish use but to serve others, and in so doing,
we serve Him.
We
are all given different gifts to be used at different times and in different
ways. W. W. Dawley, referring to this truth, says, “God gave Moses a rod, David
a sling, Samson the jawbone of a donkey, Shamgar an oxgoad, Esther the beauty
of person, Deborah the talent for poetry, Dorcas a needle, and Apollos an
eloquent tongue—and to each the ability to use that gift. In so doing, every
one of them did most effective works for the Lord.”
Our
heavenly Father has given at least one spiritual gift to each of us as
believers, and He provides all we need to carry out our individual
responsibilities (vv.6-7). Each one of us is one piece of a jigsaw puzzle that
is not complete without the others. Therefore, use your gift to be an important
part of the body of Christ to bring Him honor.
The
Truth
“Do
not neglect the gift that is in you.” (1 Timothy 4:14)
