Ordinary Time

Pause

Sit.

Relax.

Be still.

Let the day wait.

Now is the time to listen with intention to God.

What do you hear?

Listen

Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Think

Paul is a teacher-apostle who cares about the new Christians, who are his students. He knows it is easy to get confused when it comes to spiritual matters. He knew firsthand what it was like to be confused. After all, he persecuted the Christians before his conversion. He does not want the Corinthians to be misled as they had been in the past.

It is easy for me to think that if I misunderstood something I must be stupid. Paul does not say they were stupid; they were ignorant. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or understanding. The Corinthians lacked the know-how to discern which gods were false and which God was true. Paul is telling them how they can know the difference. Lesson #1:  The Spirit speaks the truth that Jesus is Lord and will never say anything to contradict that truth.

Where are those places inside myself where I am ignorant? Am I willing to embrace the truth? Am I listening to the Spirit that says “Jesus is Lord”?

Deborah Guy

Pray

Holy Spirit, shine your truth into the places where I am ignorant. Open my eyes, heart, and arms to receive the gift of truth — the truth that Jesus is Lord — into my life. Amen.

Go

Go into the world being the distribution point of all the gifts God has given you, so that the world may know God’s glory and believe.