1 Corinthians 12:4-11;27-31. “
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[a]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”
We must recognize these for what they are – GIFTS 
. Given to us by God as He wills. Not because we deserve it or are better than others. We cannot let pride get a foothold in our hearts thinking that we are better than others because we feel that our gifts are more powerful or are better than theirs. Nor should we go the other way and feel inferior because we think our gifts are not as good or as important as others. We must recognize the privilege and responsibility of receiving these precious gifts and do our best to be worthy of the trust that God has bestowed upon us in giving them to us.
There are so many gifts. Don’t focus on the popular ones. Rather find out what gifts He has given to you and run with it. That talent needs to increase and make more profit. We all have so much potential. The more we utilize the ‘little we have now, the more we build capacity for more and the more we receive! God is not stingy. He is willing to give us abundantly. But He would rather we grow into it than be destroyed by it. Just like human parents. You would love to give your child a car but you would rather give a toy car when they are three then get them a real one when they are old enough and have successfully passed through their driver’s education.
So what is the best gift? It is the one that can maximize your potential. What is best in the hands of person A, may be wasted on person B, or even be dangerous on person C. We are not to be satisfied with what level we are now but seek better. Not with greed or selfishness as motivation but with the glory of God and edification of the church as our goal. That after all, is the reason behind the gifts. We must not lose sight of this in our desire for better. That is why Paul shows a better way in 2Corinthians 13. Love.
Love for God and for His church (not talking about buildings or denominations here) is the purest and best driving factor to seek better gifts. God will not give us more than we can bear. That doesn’t just apply to troubles but also to gifts of the Spirit. We are not in a competition seeking to out do others for personal aggrandizement. We shouldn’t have time to compare ourselves with others. (If we have that time then we are being idle and need to get busy. Get back to the work of the kingdom. Pray more, study more, serve more) Let us seek and put in the work to be the best as God has called us to be. Ask and you will receive. Keep asking. Don’t be satisfied with yesterday’s level. Trust Him to give you the best. ~ AdaJesus🌻
pauseandponderdbible 