Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
(1 Corinthians 14:13-19 (NIV))
What is it that we should desire from our relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it a closer and stronger spiritual life? Is it gifts of the spirit such as speaking in tongues? What is it that you desire from your relationship with Jesus?
Are you desires all self centered in nature? Do we look to Jesus to give us blessings upon blessings while we ignore the needs of those around us? Do we have a tendency to think of our attendance at church from a perspective of “What can I get out of it?”
Have we become the exact opposite of what we profess to believe? Do we focus on how God can bless us more than what God has done for us and can do for others? Have we taken the ultimate selfless sacrifice of love, grace and mercy and turned it into a self-centered, me first philosophy?
Paul may have been able to boast that he was able to speak in tongues more than anyone else, but he also immediately countered that by saying that it was more important to speak so that others will understand and come to a knowledge of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is not a self-centered, “what’s in it for me” mentality. It is the reason that we should be willing to serve as disciples of Jesus. We MUST share the good news with anyone and everyone in a manner that can be understood. We MUST NOT focus on us. We MUST keep our eyes on Jesus.
Have you accidentally become a “what’s in it for me” Christian?
Copyright 1998 – 2010 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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