Japanese is my favorite food. Shikki’s in Mooresville is the best deal around. It is clean, affordable and the food is delicious. Each time I go there to indulge, the owner, Kit, comes over to my table and talks to me and my guest. One day we were talking about the economy and how it has affected his restaurant. Business is a little slow like most other businesses. Kit, who is from Vietnam, said, “All my family and I want to do is make a living.” He said, “Americans want so much more. It’s not enough to make a living; they seem to want everything they can get their hands on.” Imagine that! No wonder our nation is in such bad shape economically and spiritually.
As I pondered over this, I thought about the Christian life. Many times it seems that people try to go to the next step in their spiritual walk by seeking a deeper fulfillment from an outward source or a “SPIRITUAL HIGH.” But what God really wants us to do is spend time in His Word and communicate with Him through prayer. This is where the real meat is. Spiritual growth does not come from sources of emotion and drama. It is simply a process of spending quality time with God through prayer, reading His Word and journaling what He has revealed to us.
What if all of us who claim to be Christians used the spiritual gifts that were given to us by a God that knows exactly what we need and the areas that we are gifted in? What if we prayed for increase in those areas and stopped searching for another SPIRITUAL HIGH that may not even be in God’s will?
In Ephesians, 4:1 (NIV), it reads, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers….” Even though we are held accountable for the use of any gifts He gives us, we have no responsibility for gifts we have not been given. We are not to seek or envy gifts that others have. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul says that the purpose of spiritual gifts is, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
Sometimes we ask for certain gifts, but if it is not the will of the Holy Spirit, we will not receive them. We are to encourage others to develop their gifts and talents. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), Paul says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We are to use the gifts that God has given us for His glory and to help others.
In Billy Graham’s book, The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life, he states that spiritual gifts come to us from the Holy Spirit. He (the Spirit) chooses who receives which gifts.
James 1:17 (NIV) says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.”
We must be careful not to lead our brothers and sisters astray by encouraging them to seek spiritual gifts that are not meant for them. Sometimes this can cause confusion or be divisive in the body of Christ. Our God is not a God of confusion. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to move in hearts to help us discern God’s calling in our own lives.
Spending time in God’s word is the best way to start in understanding God’s will for our lives and discerning the gifts that He has given us. We can also observe the ways in which our gifts emerge by serving in various areas of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Paul tells us “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”
As I pondered over this, I thought about the Christian life. Many times it seems that people try to go to the next step in their spiritual walk by seeking a deeper fulfillment from an outward source or a “SPIRITUAL HIGH.” But what God really wants us to do is spend time in His Word and communicate with Him through prayer. This is where the real meat is. Spiritual growth does not come from sources of emotion and drama. It is simply a process of spending quality time with God through prayer, reading His Word and journaling what He has revealed to us.
What if all of us who claim to be Christians used the spiritual gifts that were given to us by a God that knows exactly what we need and the areas that we are gifted in? What if we prayed for increase in those areas and stopped searching for another SPIRITUAL HIGH that may not even be in God’s will?
In Ephesians, 4:1 (NIV), it reads, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers….” Even though we are held accountable for the use of any gifts He gives us, we have no responsibility for gifts we have not been given. We are not to seek or envy gifts that others have. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul says that the purpose of spiritual gifts is, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
Sometimes we ask for certain gifts, but if it is not the will of the Holy Spirit, we will not receive them. We are to encourage others to develop their gifts and talents. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), Paul says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” We are to use the gifts that God has given us for His glory and to help others.
In Billy Graham’s book, The Holy Spirit - Activating God’s Power in Your Life, he states that spiritual gifts come to us from the Holy Spirit. He (the Spirit) chooses who receives which gifts.
James 1:17 (NIV) says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.”
We must be careful not to lead our brothers and sisters astray by encouraging them to seek spiritual gifts that are not meant for them. Sometimes this can cause confusion or be divisive in the body of Christ. Our God is not a God of confusion. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to move in hearts to help us discern God’s calling in our own lives.
Spending time in God’s word is the best way to start in understanding God’s will for our lives and discerning the gifts that He has given us. We can also observe the ways in which our gifts emerge by serving in various areas of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Paul tells us “there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”
The real blessings and spiritual growth do come with a price: quality time with God by reading His word, talking to Him daily through prayer and writing down what He has spoken to you. This is the best investment of time you will ever make! But really Jesus has already paid the price. All we have to do is submit to Him daily. We don’t have to search out any SPIRITUAL HIGHS! The higher place we need to prepare for is heaven.
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