Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts, extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power of divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit) and they vary, but the [Holy] Spirit remains the same. (1 Corinthians 12:4 AMPC)
A lot of Christians don’t understand that our Heavenly Father is very strategic. He doesn’t send us out as disciples all willy-nilly. His General, the precious Holy Spirit, is with us twenty-four seven to totally supervise and guide us every step of the way. We must always be ready to listen to the Holy Spirit before we make any moves; and when He says “Move,” we move. Since He is also our supplier while we are in the field, any gifting He sees that we need to get the job done, He supplies it. The Word of God lets us know that it is His decision to give out gifts to whomever, whenever, wherever, and however He pleases. Some people have the tendency to become jealous of other’s individual gifts. The verse in 1 Corinthians 12:12 starts by letting us know there are many parts to the Body of Christ. If you are a hand, why are you seeking the gifting that belong to the foot or vise-versa. We need to seek the will of God, which is the only objective our General, the Holy Spirit, has. If you start seeking your own agenda and what part of the body you choose to be, it won’t be a good fit on the body. Whatever assignment or gift the Holy Spirit gives it will be profitable to all. (“And to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit toward that which is profitable for all” 1 Corinthians 12:7 ONM).
- WISDOM – The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit as to receive insight and knowledge to be applied to specific needs in the Body of Christ.
- KNOWLEDGE – The special ability in the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the well-being and the growth of the body.
- FAITH – The special ability that God gives to certain members to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purpose of God for the future of His work.
- HEALINGS – The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health from the use of natural and supernatural means.
- MIRACLES – The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
- PROPHECY – The special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
- DISCERNING OF SPIRITS –The special ability to know with assurance whether certain behaviors purported to be of God are reality of divine nature, human, or satanic.
- TONGUES – The special ability to speak to God in a language never learned and to receive and communicate an immediate message from God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they have never learned.
- INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES – The special ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
One thing you will notice, no matter what assignment the Holy Spirit gives us or what part of the body we are, everyone has the job of recruiter. Remember whatever gift the Holy Spirit endows you with, it is and will always be for the edification and for the good of the Body of Christ.
