Thought for Thursday
But covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:31
What are the best gifts? When we consider the gifts that God has given to His Assembly, we know there is a variety of gifts, each of them for the benefit of the Assembly and its members. Paul speaks of some of these gifts as they related to the Assembly in Corinth: prophesying and teaching, of doing miracles, healing diseases, speaking with, and interpreting, different tongues and languages. some of these gifts, such as the sign gifts of healings and of languages, no longer apply today. But we are still in need of men and women with gifts to build up and maintain the testimony represented by the Assembly. And our text indicates that we must have a deep desire for the best gifts. If we will examine the context of the chapter in which we find this text, we will discover that the best gifts are those that God has given to us as individuals.
We appreciate good teachers in our Assemblies. These men are able to unfold the Word of God and make it interesting and relevant to us. But not every man is a teacher, in fact, not every preacher is a teacher. And those of us who are not teachers should not regret that fact nor should we be envious of those who are teachers. The same applies to all of the other gifts. God has dispensed them to some and not to others, and we must respect His authority. Our responsibility is to desire and to use the best gifts for ourselves. My best gift is not yours, and your best gift is not your brother’s. I can do more good for God and His Assembly by faithfully doing what He has given me to do, and not by trying to do what He has given somebody else to do. But with all of the diversity of gift in the Assembly, there is something else that has no diversity, and that requires no gift, and that applies equally to everybody.
Paul speaks of a more excellent way. He does so as an introduction to the great masterpiece that is the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Few books on great literature omit that chapter. Even from a human standpoint, 1 Corinthians 13 stands as a magnificent piece of literature. Its structure and its sentiments are acknowledged as being far beyond what most writers could ever hope to express. And yet, its theme is simple: love. In its context, it is referring to love as that which serves as the essential atmosphere in which to administer the gifts that God has given to His people. Without love, none of the gifts are even worthwhile. With love, all of the gifts are worthwhile, profitable to God’s people, and honouring to our Lord.
Desiring and using God’s gifts in the spirit of love is everything that we as Christians should aspire to. -Jim MacIntosh