The Daily Word

 

Thought for the Day 

In the Bible, in the Ten Commandments, one of them is “Thou shalt not covet”. ‘Covet’ is not a word that we use often in everyday speech. Its meaning is to have a strong and unhealthy desire, possibly what we would call an obsession. So it is quite clear that to want something that we don’t possess to the extent that we would do anything to get it, is breaking a Commandment and is therefore what God classes as sin.

But at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the word ‘covet’ in a positive way, he actually encourages us to covet!!! But the object of this encouragement is spiritual gifts, “Covet earnestly the best gifts ….”. It would do us good to read the whole of 1 Corinthians 12 and see how Paul ranks spiritual gifts. Some of the gifts which are particularly regarded as quite spectacular and have in the recent past been seen to be strong evidence of the Holy Spirit working, are rated much lower than the less spectacular, solid but perhaps more beneficial gifts. I don’t want to go much deeper into spiritual gifts as it is a very deep subject, but I want to go on to the second part of the verse above, “…..and yet I show you a more excellent way”.

What, you may ask, is more important than developing spiritual depth through God-given abilities? Paul then goes on the write 1 Corinthians 13 to answer that question.

1 Corinthians 13 is devoted totally to love at its purest and most demonstrable level. He develops the attributes of love, the way we should show love, particularly to people around us and those who are closest to us. This is the ‘more excellent way’, the quiet, strength and benefit that comes from showing love, unsung, unspectacular, unseen sometimes. That is a gift that we can all covet, and we can all, whatever our possession of other spiritual gifts, put at the top of our ambitions, because we are showing God’s character, for God is Love.

Article by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church