There Are Things We Are Meant To Desire
1Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Too often I have witnessed well meaning preachers and teachers emphasize 1Corinthians 13 to the degree that it minimizes the importance fo the gifts altogether.
They get so caught up in the love chapter that they come across as though love is supposed to get rid of any need for the gifts. This is an unfortunate outcome to have happen.
We are never meant to emphasize a truth in Scripture to the point it ends up excluding another very important truth. You see an emphasis on the gifts should not exclude the call to exercise the gifts from a motivation of love for others.
That means an emphasis on loving others should be done in a way that also emphasizes the importance of using the gifts to benefit others.
We are meant to desire spiritual gifts, especially that we might prophesy.
In the inner man that desire exists. Unfortunately, it is possible to be so in tune with things in the natural that the desires of the inner man get silenced. But this should not be allowed to take place. We should diligently seek to live according to the Spirit.
The one sure way you can be of great benefit to others is to allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in your life and use you according to His supernatural gifts that are intended to do a work in others that is profound and powerful.
His anointing is far more beneficial than any eloquent words I might say rooted in sentimentality, or some other motive. N one knows better what a brother or sister needs than He does.
The same is true when it comes to the gathering of the saints. You can be used in the gifts to bring something life changing into the moment. When it is the Holy Spirit at work there is someone who is about to get strengthened in their inner man from your obedient yielding to Him. It could be a strengthening that makes a difference in whether or not another rises to victory in a situation, or yields to discouragement and defeat.
A preacher on a Sunday is not the only means of supply for all that the body of Christ needs. It takes the body of Christ being equipped and yielded to the Holy Spirit to cultivate life changing encouragement according to the Spirit.
I encourage you to ponder this in your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how He desires to use you. Ask Him for revelation in this matter and surrender yourself to His wisdom, power and direction.
The gifts of the Spirit are a supernatural New Covenant blessing! We should enjoy every blessing we are offered in the New Covenant. The only Covenant Jesus established with His own blood. He shed His blood to make all these things pertaining to the Holy Spirit possible. We’re not meant to live the new life alone and without help. His help comes with His gifts. I encourage you to desire His gifts, especially that you might prophesy.
