Day 337: I Cor 12:1 - 14:40

Wow, one thing I love about the Pauline Epistles is the way that he can cram so much incredible wisdom and insight into each chapter. This passage covers 3 very different chapters covering 3 very different topics. Of course, the go to chapter in the 3 would be I Cor 13, but since it's not exactly wedding season and we've all heard millions of messages/commentaries on that one, I'm going to focus on Chapter 12. The comparison that Paul makes between the church and a human body is such a great comparison. In this chapter, Paul reminds us that although there are many different jobs and gifts that God has given each one of us in the church, there are some important things that we must all remember. #1: each and every single gift is given to us from the Father. I know I've been guilty of this before and if you're reading this, chances are you've fallen into the same trap, but oftentimes believers end up thinking at some point that they had something to do with the gift inside of them. Although we are responsible for growing and developing and cultivating the gift God has given us, it is just that - a Gift, and until we understand to see it as such, we will never be able to reach our full potential. The second point that Paul makes is that no matter what gift God has blessed you with, you have absolutely no right to say that yours is more important than anyone else's. This is another one that I've found myself doing on occasion. Perhaps I'm not alone? This deception is also such an easy one to fall into that we must always remain watchful so we don't fall into it. Sure it's easy for the person who stands up 2 or 3 times a week and preaches for an hour to feel like they're contributing so much more than the person who stands at the door once a month and hands out bulletins (I'm not sure if your church even does that anymore, but mine does), but the fact is that if anyone fails to do their job, people won't be reached and that's what it's all about. What we must all understand is that these gifts God has given us are to carry out His purpose in our lives and we would be foolish to assume that any facet of His purpose is unimportant. And although I said I wouldn't say much about chapter 13, it really does a nice job tying everything together and reminding us of why the previous points matter. Only love can bring us to the point where we realize that the gift God has given us is truly an undeserved gift, and that no matter how unimportant it may seem, it's necessary for reaching our world, and that could never be unimportant.

- Father help me to always remember that this gift is not something that came from me, but that it came straight from You to achieve the purpose that You have placed on my life. However small or unimportant it may seem, I know that You have called me to use this gift to reach the world and show them the love that You have poured out for all of us. -