“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are oppressed, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NLT
While visiting Corinth, I reflected on I and 2 Corinthians. Although there were really 4 letters Paul wrote, the 2 we know were written to help identify and offer solutions to problems within the churches, and to teach the church how to live for Christ in a culture that is diverse, depraved, and distorted.
These letters are so in depth and address many different things, but I’m going to focus on our spiritual gifts. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them all. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of work, but in all of it and in everyone, it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (I Corinthians 12:4-7).
I think one of the saddest things in the church today is jealousy, territorialism, and competitiveness. Our humanness gets in the way of our goals, creating tension, divisiveness, and offense. We nitpick, try to outdo each other, turn away from taking part, or turn others away from helping, because our perspectives are set only on how we see things, rather than how God sees things. And when we don’t make room for others, we don’t make room for the Spirit to work in us and through us. We actually can thwart the unity that the Spirit desires when we don’t let our diversity thrive.
Paul explains beautifully that we all have been given different gifts. And we all have different ways of doing things. Different experiences. Different outcomes. Different opportunities. But all of our gifts are given for one common purpose. And that is to serve with love while building up the body of Christ, encouraging fellow believers, and being an example to those who don’t yet believe. (Paul speaks of this again in Ephesians 4:11-16).
What I love the most about the entire book of 1 Corinthians, is that the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) is nestled right in between the chapters about our gifts.
1 Corinthians 12 ends with “But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all” (vs 31), and 1 Corinthians 14 begins with “Let love be your highest goal” (Vs 1). So, in other words, all of our gifts should be celebrated, shared, and encouraging to each other because “If I did all these things, but didn’t have love, they would have meant nothing to anyone including God” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 paraphrased).
When you have time, read through I Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. As I journeyed through Corinth, I took in its beauty, but I also celebrated the gifts of those who used their talents, whatever they might have been, to make it what it was when Paul came through and to restore what it is now. I reflected on the opportunities that I have missed due to lack of love, and the opportunities yet to come that I can make better by honoring others’ gifts as equal or above my own. I hope you too will reflect on those relationships and areas of contention that should be celebrated instead of criticized. May God bring you a great anticipation of the opportunities that await when our hearts allow our differences to make us stronger as we work for His common good.
Think of a person you have a hard time working or serving with. What differences can you identify that makes your relationship weak? What is one thing you can do to balance the gifts you both have so your work can be strengthened and harmonized with the Spirit?
