8/31/21 Devotional from Ed
August 31, 2021
Text: 1 Corinthians 27-31: You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way.
Devotional: When we read Paul's words above, do we read it as an outsider or insider? Who is "you?" Those in Corinth thousands of years ago, or is it us?
In my house, we watch a lot of shows on the Food Network or Cooking Channel, and while some cooking shows can be frustrating due to their assumptions about the "everyday" items I have in my pantry (sorry, for some reason we forgot to buy charnushka at the grocery store), we get a decent of amount of recipes and good tips.
We also find it fascinating to see how these accomplished chefs can take a random, out of place ingredient and incorporate it into a dish. It's amazing what they can do with squid ink!
The final product reflects the essence of each ingredient. Without all of the elements, the dish would not exist the way it was intended.
The same applies to God's Church. As we approach a new church academic year, a year that will no doubt have challenges and adjustments, may we keep Paul's words in mind and be an insider. We all have gifts and talents that can be used as we follow in Jesus' footsteps. In addition, each of us has been given the gift of ambition, so please consider how God is calling you to serve in new ways this year.
Prayer: Dear God, Fill us with your Spirit this day and beyond. Grant us the courage to step out of the boat when needed, and may we continue to be the blessing you call each of us into becoming. Amen.
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