I read a post today from Havilah Cunnington. “Value what others sense, because your gift is strongest in community.”
That statement resonated with me this week, and as I sat with it for a few moments, memories started popping up where this statement was true. Different scriptures flashed through my mind. When you ponder Havilah’s statement, you realize she’s speaking of sensing what God is doing or saying along with others who are also sensing something from God. This is exactly how Holy Spirit giftings should be. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to a community for the benefit of the community and beyond. As wonderful as it is to have the Holy Spirit give us gifts, it’s even more wonderful to be part of a community where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are flowing and operating. As we grow, learn, and gain skill, we will begin to flow in those Holy Spirit gifts outside the training ground of our faith communities and into the world around us. Our gifts are strongest when others around us are activated in their gifts.
Be informed about Spiritual Gifts
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he told them he didn’t want them to be uninformed about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). He began to instruct them in how to recieve them, how to use them, what they are for, and where they come from. He even warns them that the gifts may not look like what they think they will look like. Paul wants them to understand it’s just one Holy Spirit that gives the gifts, but they will look different, the activities will look different, and the ministries will look different. In other words, when the gift is added to the unique individual, it will look different than the same gift added to another unique individual.
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11 AMP)
However! In verse 7, Paul makes a very important point that can’t be overlooked. The gift expressed through a person is “for the common good.” (AMP) The gift is given to a person in a community for the benefit of the individuals in the community. In verse 11, Paul makes another important point. It’s the same Spirit who is the active force in all of the previously mentioned gifts, “distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.” (AMP) The Greek word is energeō, which, according to Strongs, means to be operative, be at work, put forth power, and display one’s activity. The Holy Spirit shows Himself as active and powerful through the yielded vessel of the faith-filled believer. It’s not our power, it’s His!
Desire Spiritual Gifts! Then let the Holy Spirit have His way
Many of us, if we think of them at all, approach the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as if we get to pick which one we get. We don’t mean to think that way, its just the way we are made, we are drawn to the ones we feel most comfortable with based on our own experiences. But, scripture says the Holy Spirit distributes as He chooses. I believe if we yield ourselves as vessels of Holy Spirit, let Him have His way with us, and stay in community, then we will grow in those gifts, and we will experience more of them. Humans fear the unknown. But if we see Holy Spirit as a friend and get to know Him as a friend, then the way He operates becomes familiar. When the fear wanes down, we become a glorious faith-filled vessel for the Holy Spirit to operate through! Now, to be clear, Paul also tells them the earnestly cultivate and desire the greater gifts. However, I still maintain that we should ask for what we desire, yet let the Holy Spirit have His way.
14 Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may [a]prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people]. (1 Corinthians 14:1)
I have friends who are highly prophetic. When I am around them, learning from them, ministering with them, my prophetic gift gets elevated. I’ve noticed as long as I keep using the prophetic gifting, it stays at that higher level or even grows. When I neglect it for awhile, or when I don’t get around my spiritual friends who are operating in their gifts, it tends to settle back down to a lower level. It doesn’t happen because the Holy Spirit isn’t there, it’s because I’m not taking the time to develop and cultivate relationship with Holy Spirit, inviting Him into my life, my day, the ministry, etc. Ministering with friends is so fun, and I love being a part of a community of believers who value the Holy Spirit. It helps me grow, and I believe it will help you grow, too.
There are many practices that grow my spiritual life, and seeking the Holy Spirit in community is one of those wonderful practices. Our gifts really are stronger in community. Community provides a safe place to practice the operation of spiritual gifts. It’s a place where we learn, make mistakes, stir one another, pray for one another, strengthen one another, and gain faith for one another. We learn what each other’s gifts are and how they function. I’m a pastor, so I talk to a lot of people about the ways God uses them, the way they hear Him, and the gifts He has placed inside them. People have told me that when others speak in tongues, they sometimes know what they are saying. That’s one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit! It’s in the bible! We teach it! But, because they’ve never seen it modeled in a healthy community, or there’s fear, or they feel weird, they keep quiet. And some of these people are in the same church! So, we need to be a safe community where people can practice things that feel foreign to them at first. As they grow, they will gain experience, knowledge, and get stronger in the gifts of the spirit. That’s our hope for all God’s people, that we will all find a faith community where we are growing, serving, getting strong, and getting equipped for doing the work of the ministry (which is outside the four walls of the building we meet in.) We want to be a safe family and a safe space.
A vibrant community of various gifting
If you’re an intercessor, you need a community of intercessors. If you’re prophetic, you need a community of prophets. If you operate in healing, you need to be in community with others who operate in healing. None of us are supposed to be lone rangers, we are designed for connection and community. We need to have people around us to minister to, minister with, and to minister to us. As Havilah so eloquently reminded me this evening, our gifts are stronger in community.
I hope this inspires you to find a faith community to plug into, grow with, and delight in Jesus with. They are all over, you just have to find one that fits. Havilah wrote a great book called Created to Hear God. I read it right around the time I was finishing edits on Belief Rehab: You Are Enough. They can both be found on Amazon!!
Be blessed in the mighty name and strength of the Lord, Jesus Christ!
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