Our Daily Bread -- We’re A Community

April 17, 2015

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 1-2; Luke 14:1-24

[The Lord] gave some . . . for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. —Ephesians 4:11-12

A pastor’s wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. That put the family in a difficult, stressful situation. The pastor wondered how he was going to be able to take good care of her while he still had responsibilities for his church family. But he needn’t have worried because church members stepped up and volunteered to assist him with meals and some of her care.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the purpose for which the Lord gave them their spiritual gifts. Before he listed the diversity of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, he reminded them that “a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (v.7 nlt). God does not give His spiritual gifts for our own selfish use but to serve others, and in so doing, we serve Him.

We are all given different gifts to be used at different times and in different ways. But they are all to be used in love for the “edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Wherever God has placed us, we can use what He has gifted us to do as we see the need, remembering that we are all part of the church—the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13-14). —C. P. Hia

Thank You, Father, for the wonderful gifts You have given Your church. Help me to understand how You have gifted me to encourage other believers, and to spread the message of Your love to the world.

Use your gifts to exercise care for others.

INSIGHT: Spiritual gifts are discussed in 1 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, and 1 Peter. In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul emphasizes how these gifts relate to one another within the body of Christ, the church. In Romans 12:3-8, he gives a shorter list, but also emphasizes the exercising of those gifts. In Ephesians 4:11-13, he describes gifted leaders God has given to the church for its development in life and service. In 1 Peter 4, the apostle Peter says that the purpose of all gifts is that “God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (v. 11).

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