1 Corinthians 12:11, 12
God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one, by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
In 1990, a brand new "all-in-one" soap was released on the market called Lever 2000. The slogan simply said, "For all your 2000 body parts." As humans, God created our bodies with a great degree of complexity. Eyes, ears, fingers, liver, spleen, ribs, nose, uvula, tonsils, larynx, elbows, fingers and toes; one body, but many parts. And every part is important to the body's health. What would it be like to live without a finger, kidney, brain, or heart? Could you do it? Yes, depending on the body part. Assuming it wasn't a vital organ, your body would adapt, but would you want to live this way? No, you'd be incomplete. Often in the church, we fail to acknowledge what our culture considers the "less important" parts of the body. We celebrate teaching, for instance, and many look down upon the hospitality that creates a warm and loving environment for visitors. We highlight the missionary without praising the faithful giving that allows him to be sent. The Bible reminds us that each part is uniquely assigned by the Holy Spirit and equally significant to the health of the body.
