“…and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,” 1 Corinthians 14:1

“It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.” 1 Corinthians 12:11

More than any material gifts, we need the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit; our human effort doesn’t transform anyone. Here is what Pastor Jim Cymbala says on our need for the Holy Spirit:

“He [the Holy Spirit] goes beyond surface appearances to the root of our beings. The Spirit doesn’t put Band-Aids on anything — He goes to the core of our problems to provide help. Likewise, preaching that is anointed by the Holy Spirit is fiery preaching. That doesn’t mean beating people down or condemning them; rather, it means ministry that penetrates the heart, reveals sin, and vividly shows the need for Jesus Christ. Without the Holy Spirit’s fire, preaching can descend to mere entertainment or displays of oratory.

When Peter preached the first sermon of the Christian era, those ineloquent but fiery words produced deep conviction and a response of, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Teaching aids that help preachers communicate are useful, but without the Spirit’s fire, hearts will never be humbled and broken before the Lord.

In Jeremiah, God asked, “Is not my word like a fire?” (Jeremiah 23:29, emphasis added). The Word preached with the Spirit’s fire cuts through the clutter and deals with the troubled condition of our hearts. The Spirit’s fire always cuts to the chase and deals with the hindrances that keep us from the blessing of God.”

These principles from Jim Cymbala that mention preaching are also true for all other areas of ministry to our students – teaching, counseling, etc. As Greg Hammond has said, “The Holy Spirit can do more in a few minutes in our lives and the lives of our students than we can do in 6 months.”  May our hearts and lives become increasingly open to the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit and all that he has for us.  Life-transforming ministry depends on it!

See also: Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5: 1 Thessalonians 1:5

Discuss – Evaluate – Execute:

• Can you change anyone; can you change yourself?
• Are you operating in the gifts and power of the Spirit?
• Is your ministry creating an atmosphere, an opportunity, in which the Holy Spirit can speak, heal and deliver?
• How can you better cultivate the gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life and ministry?
• Gracious Father, thank you for the gifts of the Holy Spirit! May we receive and walk in them!