1 Corinthians 12:7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

I have to confess that when I get gifts from others for Christmas or my birthday, for Father’s Day or an anniversary, I usually think, “Thank you! This is for me to use or enjoy for myself.” That doesn’t mean I won’t share it, too. But I am thinking mostly of how I can use the gift to serve me. Sometimes even the giver will say, “Now this is for you. Don’t let everyone else enjoy it and not you.”

When God gives us his Spirit, and the Spirit gives us gifts, it works the other way around. Yes, we enjoy using the talents he gives us. There is a beautiful sense of satisfaction that comes from putting God’s gifts to work.

But the object, Paul says, is “the common good.” Any ability God has given to me isn’t so much so that I can glorify myself. It is so that I can serve my neighbor. I can use my gift to take care of others. It is an opportunity to love. You may lack what I have, so I can love you in this way. And I lack some things that you have, and you can love me in return. This way, the common good is served, and love grows, and God is glorified, all because he has given us his Spirit.

Isn’t that how Jesus used the gifts he possessed? How many times in the gospels do we read about him using his power to feed himself or heal himself? His whole purpose was to serve the common good. “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This resulted in forgiveness and salvation for all who believe.

When we use the Spirit’s gifts for the common good, we don’t get less. We get more. God himself is active in our lives. Our family of faith grows around us. These are greater blessings than the gifts themselves. Let’s not miss God’s purpose in the spiritual abilities he has given to us all.