Monday, April 25 – 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

You have probably heard the phrase, “Give credit where credit is due.” We use this expression to recognize someone’s contribution to a successful effort. This can be easy when a friend does something nice for us or a family member does something we are proud of. When it comes to spiritual recognition though, we often fall short. Before speaking about spiritual gifts, Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians that their spiritual gifts came from God alone. Sometimes we see someone display a spiritual gift like service, generosity, or wisdom and we think “Wow! They are such a good person,” or “I could never be as good as them.” When we play this comparison game, we often elevate someone to a status that they do not deserve.

If you see goodness at work in the life of a brother or sister in Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit at work in them—not their strength. Spiritual gifts come from God. When the Holy Spirit changes us, our gifts change from ones of status to ones of love, service, and humility. As we study spiritual gifts, give credit where credit is due! These gifts come because of God’s work in your life. When you invest in your relationship with Him, these things overflow. God has done even more than redeem you; He is also equipping you and gifting you in a very special way that brings Him glory.

• When have you been tempted to give credit to a person instead of God at work in them?
• How can you give God credit for your gifts as you use them?
• Pray and give credit where credit is due. Praise and thank God for giving us spiritual gifts.