Walking With Christ

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (4)Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; (5)and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; (6)and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (7)To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (8)For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, (9)to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, (10)to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (11)All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.(ESV)

The U.S. military is one of the best in the world at equipping troops with comparable gear. Basic level troops are almost guaranteed to have nearly identical gear. Once those troops are more trained and begin specializations then they might receive different equipment that is for different purposes. Regardless of where they end up and what specialization they choose, they nearly always start out the same. They have a common grounding and training so that they all can speak to one another in familiar terms. This common foundation makes a lot of processes much simpler and it promotes stronger bonds through shared experiences. This training breaks down barriers and creates bonds that few outside of highly trained professional groups can fully grasp.

The gifts of the Spirit come in a variety of forms and every Christian is fully capable of using each one. This does not mean that we are guaranteed to use each gift. Some will speak with profound wisdom but never see an act of healing. Some will prophecy but never speak in tongues. We are able to use these gifts as God wills, not as we will. These gifts are not meant as signs for us to brag about what the Spirit has given us or done through us. Rather, these gifts are always given in service to the kingdom of God.

Everyone has gifts. Everyone will see the use of those gifts in their life. One might spend an entire lifetime waiting for the one miraculous instance of the gift they were given. These gifts are another, among many, sign that our Lord God is still with us and still speaking to us. Celebrate each use of gifts and praise God that His Spirit still walks with us.