Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Narcissus, in Greek mythology, pined away to almost nothing for love of his own reflection in water -- and so do Christians who catch his disease. We live in a narcissistic age -- even within Christianity. Many of us believers have an excessive interest in -- and affection for -- ourselves, our feelings, our relationships, our abilities, our lifestyles, our spiritual development, our knowledge, our growth, our maturity -- anything involving us! So a few years ago, studying spiritual gifts was a "natural" -- complete with personality testings. More recently it's been spiritual warfare. Studies like these are good and important in their place, but simply not worthy of such temporary, intense hype. We're like a bunch of blackbirds sitting on a telephone wire. One flies off to another telephone wire, so everybody flies off and joins him on that one . . . Then another flies off to another telephone wire, so everybody flies and settles on that one . . . When our eyes aren't fixed on Jesus, Ephesians 4:14 says we can be "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of doctrine." The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts not for ourselves but for service: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10). Yesterday's grace passed with yesterday's service. Today's grace is only for today. Gifts are bestowed for each situation's need in the body, and they're not given to look at but to use. Says Theodore Monod, We are not to gloat over [our gifts] as treasures, counting up our riches, but to spend them immediately and remain poor, "looking unto Jesus."1 _________________ 1. Looking unto Jesus, p.17. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's pray to Him: Lord, I wasn't comfortable anyway with all that self-preoccupation. If put me in the arena of competition and coveting. I fix my eyes on You; and I say, Lord Jesus, however You want to use me to help Your people, I'm available. I love You, Lord! In Your blessed name, amen.

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