Romans 1:11-13 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
Paul greatly anticipated his visit to Rome. He wanted to give the believers there a “spiritual gift.” Sometimes we may think that spiritual gifts are enhancements of our own personal abilities. Paul implies that the spiritual gifts he can impart to the Romans has to do with encouragement. One spiritual gift is the fellowship we can share with other believers through the Holy Spirit. Paul had wanted many times to come to Rome but these plans never worked out. God had other plans for Paul. Some of these plans included imprisonment, trials, and hardships. We get a glimpse of what motivated Paul in his ministry: he wanted a harvest of souls for God’s kingdom. He was driven by the call God has placed on him to go and make disciples. He did not want the Romans to think badly of him, that he had other plans. He wanted to get to them but had many interruptions. His motives were pure but he could not follow through with his plans. We must ask what motivates us in what we do. We may have plans for some ministry, but God opens other doors for us. I have had similar experiences where I hoped to do a particular ministry or go to a certain place, but that door never opened for me. That does not mean I give up on God’s call on my life. God may just open up other doors and show me other paths to take.
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