“Pursue love and desire the gifts...”

— 1 Corinthians 14:1a

Paul sums up his teaching about the gifts in this one idea, “pursue love and desire the gifts.” It’s not the other way around. We are not to pursue or chase after the gifts of the spirit, we are to pursue love.

Firstly, the more correct name is graces of the Spirit. The word “gifts” in the Bible is the Greek word charisma, which is mostly translated as grace. Grace is God’s divine influence in our hearts which brings about capacity and abilities. To use the word “gift” implies a talent, or some kind of possession. You do not have a gift of the Spirit, you experience CHARISMA or the expression of God’s divine influence.

You can experience this expression of his influence within yourself and for others. Paul teaches us that we should desire grace to flow through us in the forms of words of knowledge/wisdom, miracles, and the like. It is healthy to want to see grace operating in your ministry, but we shouldn’t chase after specific expressions of grace.

The priority is love, not the manifestation of the gifts. The gifts are available to bless people as we move toward them in love. Even the one gift that Paul says we should desire the most, prophecy, is all about comforting and building people up in God’s love.

God gave because he loved and Jesus did what he did out of compassion for people. When we pursue gifts not motivated by love, all sorts of things can go awry. When the gifts are the focus, without being an expression of love from a mature heart, the one expressing the gift may think it is his power or his special anointing. We’ve all heard stories about healing ministers falling into sin even though they have miracles in their ministries.

The power of God still works when there is faith. Even a donkey can prophesy. There’s nothing special about the person who can perform miracles, any believer can do it. The goal is to minister to people out of compassion and access the gifts along the way if there is a need.

How To Operate In The Gifts

Grace (gifts) is accessed by faith (Romans 5:2) and faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Ultimately, grace is an expression of love, specifically God’s love for others being poured out through our hearts.

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

This passage is an excellent description of how grace works. Christ is poured out into our hearts, which roots us in God’s love. When we comprehend and experience that love, we are filled with the fullness of God. This is another way of describing being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is an ongoing experience for the believer. This is not a one-time event. We can continually live under the influence of Christ being poured into our hearts so we are rooted in God’s love for us. As we experience and comprehend God’s love, we are filled with the Spirit. And what happens when you are filled with the Spirit? You are endued with power.

So how do you operate in the gifts of the Spirit? Rest in God’s love until it becomes an intimate experience for you. Experiencing His love for you will manifest as love for others and you will walk in power toward them. The gifts are not special anointings, they are expressions of our love and God’s love for people.

The Spirit pours out of like water, that wellspring of life that Jesus described in John 7:38. That water pours out of us and seeks the dry places in people’s lives. The Spirit becomes what is needed for people. We do not have to try to operate in a specific gift, our task is to be motivated by love for people, then notice what the Spirit is trying to become for that person. It may be a word of encouragement, it may be a healing, it may be a word of correction, it may be a Bible passage, it may be insight about the future, it may be many things.

The more sensitive you are to God’s love for yourself and others, the more sensitive you’ll be to what the Spirit is trying to become for others.

As you minister to others, don’t try to hear God, cultivate compassion. Empathize with them, identify with them and keep your heart open to God in the process. As your heart is filled with compassion for people, you will create a channel for His power to flow as well.

Do you want to operate in the gifts? Practice loving people. Listen to them. See them as God sees them. Remove their condemnation and administer peace. When love is your motivation you will never fail.

Homework

Read 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 through 14. Notice that Paul emphasizes that it's the same spirit that works all gifts through all people. Pay attention to the list of graces of the Spirit in chapter 12. The conclusion of Paul's teaching about the graces of the Spirit is found in chapter 14, pursue love and desire the gifts. Don't chase gifts, but expect them to happen in your life and ministry.

Then read the book of Mark. Identify when Jesus is operating in the graces of the Spirit. Pay attention to, what he does before, who he is speaking to, what he says immediately after and anything else that stands out to you.

I'd love to hear your observations and revelations in the comments below.

If you’d like to hear much more detail on this topic, watch the video at the top of the page.

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