12:12ff - This is always a good passage for me to read and take to heart, because I (And I believe this applies to most people) am constantly falling into a cycle of coveting the gifts and talents of other believers. I need to be reminded that God has doled out the gifts and He has placed the gifts exactly where He wants them. I need to constantly be reminded that when I covet the gifts of others and forsake my own gifts, I am telling God He messed up. His plan wasn't good enough...He didn't give out the gifts in the way the I think He should have...I don't appreciate what He freely gave to me. That is dangerous ground to tread on!
12:22 - Great example of this - quiet, faithful, loving servants of God in a church. These type of people are often overlooked because they may not have the flashy gifts of communication or musical talent or whatever...but there is not a church on earth that would survive without a backbone of selfless, humble, loving Christ-followers. Sometimes the gifts that seem weaker are really the most important.
12:26 - Confession Time - There have been times when I secretly rejoiced in the failures of other Christians who I looked upon with jealousy...and that is just sick. We are one body and we should rejoice in the victories of our brothers and be broken hearted in the failures of our brothers.
2 comments:
Msg – “By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he [Christ] has the final say in everything.”
I like what Paul calls our lives before Christ – partial, piecemeal – i.e. we were not whole. Christians are always trying to tell the lost of their need for Christ. Before He came to me and I accepted Him as my Master, I honestly did feel like that there was always something missing. And what do you do when something is missing – you try to replace it, fill it up. I wanted the best of both worlds but could not figure out why everything was not enough. Then, He came – He showed me that I was meant for something more than the useless junk the world offers. He filled the void.
Then came detox – worldly detox that is – a battle that is still being fought. But I on the winning side and the Master wants me to press on – so – I do, I will. After all, Jesus has the final say – so what are we worried about – yea-yea – plenty, I know – but win, lose, or draw in this life – Christ is here with us and for us. Again – too cool for more words.
j
I love to reference and talk about the need for the body! This is something that brings joy and hope to me as we proceed on this course. There are sooo many things I suck at. So many in fact, that at one point I questioned how I could be a student minister if I can't lead worship and run a soundbooth. But as God would have it, I learned a valuable lesson through a mentor that said I didn't neet to be perfect; I simply needed to be my best. My best is making relationships. My best is loving people. My best is teaching. My best is having relationships with people, by loving them, and ask them to help me do the things that I can't do, so I can focus on everything else and just teach! Not only is there less stress, but others have been given the opportunity to serve, and God has done a real number on my pride by forcing me to accept my weakness to others' strengths and ask for help. THANK YOU JESUS!
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