Discipline

This past Sunday, I really felt impressed by God with the following sentence: "Do not trade in the Disciplines of the Spirit for the Gifts of the Spirit." Our church, you see, is doing a lengthy study on the Spiritual Gifts, what they are, what they are for, which ones who has, etc. As I sense in my heart a desire to have these gifts and to walk in them, I know my temptation will be to less faithfully pursue spiritual disciplines, such as meditation and reading of Scripture, prayer, and the pursuit of holy living. After all, who wants discipline when there's presents laying around? Of course, God in His kindness has not left my heart in such a lazy selfish state. The power of Spiritual gifts is validated by one who is living in accordance with the Spirit of God. Or, as it says in Corinthians,

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

I Corinthians 13:1-3

The love that I mean here is not merely a love of others, although that is important. I believe the primary love to which this passage is refering is a love of Other, as in God. From a love for God would flow a love of all others before self, and in particular a love for the saints and the local church. But I do not want to be blinded and miss that a love of God, of Christ, and of the Spirit supercedes all of these things. God says in His word, "If you love me, you will obey my commands." Seeking Him, reading the Word of God, and pursuing the mind of Christ are all necessary for Spiritual gifts to be most effective. I know that God can work through broken cisterns, but how much better to use a vessel set aside for His purpose. May the Lord draw my heart even more to Spiritual disciplines as I "eagerly desire the Spiritual gifts"!