1 Corinthians 12:27-31

When I was very young I had my tonsils out. At the same time my older brother had an operation and somehow, we managed to be given a shared room at the hospital. Early in the morning my dad came and brought presents. I looked at my gift and saw what my brother was getting. His gift was way better. So, as he was still asleep I decided to swap them over. If he ever noticed the mismatch he never said.

Sometimes we can look at the gifts that God has given to others and feel the same way. I wish I was a bit more like that person or I had an anointing like the other. We can feel disappointed or even jealous of how God works through other people’s lives.

However, unlike Mayer-Briggs tests that are fixed character traits our spiritual gifts are not. Pauls says that not all gifts are equal and that we should ‘eagerly desire the greater gifts.’ This is amazing. He is saying that God can anoint you to become a teacher. God can open your ears to the prophetic. God can anoint you to see healing and miracles. If you want a gift that you do not have, God is willing and able to bless you.

The gifts that you have can grow. If you already have a sensitivity to the prophetic, that can grow. If you already teach, that can grow. Where you are now is not where you need to remain. If we want to be people who transform the world around us, we should eagerly desire the gifts that will have the greatest impact. Is there a gift on this list that you would like God to grow in you. He won’t give you them all but he will give you new gifts.

Apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.