1 Corinthians 12:11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who distributes to each one individually just as he wants.
The Holy Spirit works with each person uniquely. This can be challenging to accept, especially when people can be very different and have different perspective and ways of doing things. The differences can lead to tensions and misunderstandings. This may have been one of the problems in Corinth that was leading to divisions among the people. Paul attempts to show them in this chapter that they are one through the bond of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the same for all but the Spirit will be experienced different by each individual. All should show love, but each will have unique gifts to contribute to the development and growth of the church. We may want a certain gift, and so, when we see that gift in another, our tendency is to compare ourselves to that person. We may have two types of responses: jealousy or inferiority. Jealousy arises when we wish we had the gift of another. For example, some gifts are “up front” type needs, such as leadership, speaking, teaching, or other types of ministries. Even among pastors, there can be different gifts and strengths. Some pastors may become envious of other pastors who seem to have particular gifts that make them “more effective.” The opposite may also be true: a person thinks he or she has no gifts or has gifts that don’t matter much. Gifts that are “behind the scenes” but still important for the overall mission of the church are just as important as those that are “up front.” This verse should help us see that every believer is important and gifted by the Holy Spirit for the purposes that the Holy Spirit desires for us as individuals and for our church.
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