Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 

The Conscious Waiting for Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12: 1-12
4 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”
In 1 Corinthians 12, Apostle Paul addresses a concern raised by the people of Corinth about spiritual gifts. In those days some members of the church misused their gifts for selfish gains and others became influenced by immoral practices. Paul writes in his letter that the ability to confess that Jesus is Lord can only come through the Holy Spirit. He goes on to remind them that the Holy Spirit manifests in everyone with different gifts such as the messages of wisdom and knowledge, faith, gift to heal, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguish spirits, speak and interpret different tongues. All these gifts are given for the common good which is to serve others to build the kingdom of God.

In verses 4-6 Apostle Paul uses the terms, same spirit, same Lord and same God in reference to the trinity to illustrate the diversity and unity of the spiritual gifts. As Christians we are called to serve one another and by serving others we are able to see the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We all have a great purpose in this life but our purpose may not be evident right away because everything is according to God’s perfect timing. Therefore, we must continue to be faithful knowing that God has our best interest at heart. Psalms 27:14 reminds us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”. Time spent waiting on God is time never wasted. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”. We are never alone in our walk with God because where God guides he provides. Lets ask ourselves, “How has the Holy Spirit working in my life?”. May God bless us all.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, we thank you for your unconditional love. We acknowledge that your timing is the perfect timing. We surrender ourselves to you and ask that you use us, as you will. We pray for direction and wisdom to live a humble life in service to others. Amen.
 
Thought for the day
“As God’s children, we are not to be observers; we’re to participate actively in the Lord’s work. Spectators sit and watch, but we are called to use our spiritual gifts and serve continually”. 
- Dr. Charles Stanley
Jess Chacko
St. John’s MTC, New York

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