Aha! There you are! Glad to have you back again for today’s Daily Bread. Today you’re in for a special treat, because this part of Paul’s letter talks about spiritual gifts. What are your spiritual gifts? That’s a question that you can answer by asking yourself, What can I do to best serve the Lord? What opportunities and talents has He given to me that I can use to glorify Him?

          No matter what your own personal spiritual gift(s) are, they’re important to God. Let me give you something to think about. Let’s say you take the ingredient salt out of all your food. Blahhhhh! But, it’s only salt. Most of the time it dissolves and you can’t even see it, but it sure does make a difference. Think of your spiritual gifts as an important ingredient, no matter how small or how extensive they may be.

          This is a wonderful explanation by Paul, of how we’re all united in Christ and how we all should depend on and appreciate one another. Let’s take a look.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD PURPOSE AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD PLAN

Just as the body is one, and has many members,
and all the members of that one body,
being many,
are one body:
so also is Christ.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD WARNING OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD CONCERNS AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD MISUNDERSTANDINGS

By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body (adopted into the same family),
whether we be Jewish or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say,
Because I am not the hand,
I am not part of the body;
is it therefore not part of the body?
And if the ear shall say,
Because I am not the eye,
I am not part of the body;
is it therefore not part of the body?

If the whole body were an eye,
how would it hear?
If the whole body were an ear,
how would it be able to smell?

But now has God set the members every one of them in the body,
as it has pleased Him.
And if they were all one part,
how could it be a body?

But now they are many members,
yet still, they are but one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand,
I have no need of you:
Also, the head cannot say to the feet,
I have no need of you.

No, but even more,
those members of the body which seem to be more feeble,
are necessary:
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable,
on these we bestow more abundant honor (we adorn them with clothing);
and our unattractive parts have more abundant beauty.

          We decorate our bodies with fancy clothing. The parts which decency and morality require us to hide, we not only cover, but we do our best to dress them to the hilt. In the meanwhile, we leave our faces uncovered. The point being, in the same way, we shouldn't think less of our fellow Christians who are less "favored" than others with spiritual gifts.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD ADMINISTRATIONS AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM GOD USE

For our handsome parts have no need: but God has arranged the body together,
having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
so that there should be no division in the body;
but that the members should have the same care for one another.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing?
Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

But earnestly desire the best gifts:

And still, I’ll show you a better way to demonstrate your zeal to have the best spiritual gifts,
and that is by unconditional love for your fellow man.