Want to guess what my spiritual gift is? Some of you will not be surprised to learn that it is exhortation or encouragement. I discovered this years ago when I was a college student at KU. Since the time of that revelation, I have tried to live my life utilizing this gift as the Holy Spirit gives me opportunities.

Yesterday I read I Corinthians 12 in my quiet time with the Lord. My encouragement to each of you is to take time to read this important chapter. Why?

You will find warnings such as: don’t follow after dumb idols. What are those idols in your life?

Paul shares a list of different spiritual gifts that are given just as God wills. He compares our human bodies to what the church is like. He has placed each one of us in the church as He desires. God wants Knox church to operate out of the gifts given to each of us. You may be thinking – ‘So what?’

Problems arise when we don’t use our gifts to bless others. Sometimes we pout when our gifts and service don’t seem to receive much recognition. God’s answer is “Bestow more honor on the members who seem to just work as kingdom servants for years.” God wants no division in His church. Remember the important reminder given in verse 26 – “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

Knox will never be the perfect church as God wants us to become. Yet we can seek, to the best of our ability, to practice what the scriptures teach us. The job for each of us is to become Spirit led Christians. How great it is when each one of us does our part, role, and service within the body of Christ. So let’s set our minds on the things above and God will show us a more excellent way.

Fred Daniels