First, we see that we abuse spiritual gifts when we reject unity in the body. Paul reveals the danger to the church at Corinth, and to us here today, that can occur when we focus on the diversity of the gifts instead of the unifying purpose of the gifts. We see this danger in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.In these verses, Paul uses an analogy of the human body to expose the danger that can occur when we focus on the diversity of the gifts instead of the unifying purpose of the gifts. Paul explains that just as our body is formed from many parts that unite to make the human body, the church is formed from many diverse cultural backgrounds and social status that are united by the Holy Spirit to make Christ’s spiritual body.
And similarly, the Holy Spirit gives followers of Jesus diverse spiritual gifts that we are to invest serving God by serving others in a way that results in the spiritual growth and building up of others and the advancing of God’s kingdom mission. Christians act unchristian however, when we focus on what makes us different in terms of the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given us instead of focusing how we can leverage those differences into the common lives of mission and purpose that He has given us.
So are you focused on what is different about others instead of what unites us? Are you focused on what is different in terms of the gifts that others have been given instead of the common mission an lives of meaning and purpose we have been given?
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