Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Have you ever read parts of the Bible and felt confused? Don’t worry, many have felt that way. The Bible is a grouping of many books and letters, from many different people. We must be intentional and pray for wisdom from God to learn, grow, and discern His meaning from the Word. 1 Corinthians 14 can be one of those chapters that creates confusion. But there is a clear message from Paul here. Despite talk of prophecy, speaking in tongues, and women keeping silent, Paul has an important message that resonates just as much today as 2,000 years ago.
God blesses us all with gifts. Those gifts should be used to live out His will in our lives. One of the ways we can do that is to unify and build up the church. In 1 Corinthians 14:12, Paul said, “So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.” First, we should be eager for gifts from God. But then we should be eager to use them, not waste them. The gift of a prophetic word is a gift many believe to be odd, or that it only took place in Biblical times. But that is incorrect. To prophesy is when someone proclaims God’s truth. It could be through counsel, or it could be through encouragement or correcting someone. People in general do not like to be corrected. But if it is coming through discernment from God, you should most definitely listen.
1 Corinthians 14:20 says, “Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil, be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” That is a strong statement. Don’t be a child in your thinking! Use the gifts God gave to disciple people to know, love, and follow Jesus. Don’t make excuses to avoid using your gifts. And don’t make excuses to continue in sin that prevents you from using those gifts. Repent and live the life God has called you to live! Not a life that is a shadow of what He had planned.
Prayer: God, give me wisdom and courage to use the gifts you gave me, not for personal gain, but to influence people for your Kingdom.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.