Godliness over Giftedness
When my children were at school, I always struggled when one of them was identified as "Gifted and Talented" for two reasons. First, flashy labels generate pride, the prince of all sins. And second, being gifted and talented is not that important to Christ. Character always trumps gifts. Needless to say we paid little attention to the "gifted and talented" brand, and to prove it, I have completely forgotten which of my four sons were given that dubious title.
It is a universal principle of Christian leadership, that what Christ is looking for is not giftedness but godliness.
He is not looking for clever, educated, all-singing, all-dancing sparkling individuals, he's looking for godly ones.
Now, you can be gifted and godly, but there is no necessary correlation between the two; it does not follow that someone who is gifted will be godly.
And as with leaders, so it should be in whole church. Jesus is looking for godly followers not gifted-as-the-world-identifies-giftings followers. That's why he chose fisherman types to spread his Good News. Don't get me wrong, to catch fish you need extraordinary gifts of a certain kind. (Just not the type honoured by the world.)
Mr and Mrs Gifted
As we make our way through the love sonnet of 1 Corinthians 13, we've arrived at verses 1 and 2, where we come face to face with Mr or Mrs Gifted:
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If
I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing."
Here are Christians with tremendous gifts. One can speak in the tongues of men and angels! Another can prophecy (speak forth the Word of God). One is gifted with insight - the ability to penetrate deep mysteries - and another has enough faith to move mountains!
What is most striking about this gift list is that every one of them is a spiritual endowment from God! The problem was that these believers were exercising their God-given gifts without love in their hearts.
Their motive for speaking in tongues, prophecying, revealing deep truths and moving mountains was not love for the recipients. Perhaps the motive was pride, perhaps it was personal ambition, perhaps it was the praise of men. But it was not love.
"Annoying Zeros!"
And Paul says, whenever we serve in the church without love in our hearts for the people we are serving, without love as the sole motive, we become as annoying to others as a "clanging cymbal" and a zero in the eyes of God, "I am nothing."
"Annoying," "a nothing," - those are astonishing descriptions of loveless serving. But together they reveal the supreme esteem which the Lord places on love.
Summing it all Up
In lockdown perhaps we are not as able to serve as much as at other times, so this devotional asks us to reflect on the past and to prepare for the future.
What has motivated you and I, when we think of our past service? Let's be honest. If the prayerful answer has been anything other than love for the person or people we served, our service has been defective.
Here's one test: were we disappointed if no-one noticed us or thanked us? If so, surely we served for the praise of men?
And when we look ahead, beyond lockdown, let us make sure that love, and love alone, motivates our future service, whatever gifts we may have been given.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
A song attributed to Francis of Assisi [1200s] (not Susan Boyle, Google!) serenades sacrifical service, which is more concerned with the one being served than with servant.
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in You
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in You
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy
Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of Your peace
It is pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving of ourselves that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life
It is pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving of ourselves that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life
Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in You
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in You
You can sing along with a beautiful version right HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We thank you for reminding us that love is the most excellent way. Forgive us for the times we have served you with an eye on personal reward, whether that be honour, wealth or human praise.
We thank you that the Lord Jesus came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
May our service mirror his we pray,
Amen
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