But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7, NASB)
Sahith Theegala called a 2-shot penalty on himself in last year’s FedEx Cup Championship. He claimed his club touched the sand as he hit a fairway bunker shot.
No one saw it, and the TV replay was inconclusive, but Sahith was firm in his determination, which eventually cost him over $2,000,000.
He must be a man of character! As we know, golf is played this way at the highest level. This may be one of the reasons I love golf—it is a gentleman’s game.
We who call Jesus “Lord” should also carry ourselves with an integrity beyond reproach as we live this brief life. This manifestation of Jesus’ character should be evident to all who know us.
Jesus fills our lives with his Spirit. What spills out of our character when confronted with the opportunity to break the rules? Hopefully, it is integrity.
Manifestation means a vision or incarnation of something or someone. Biblically defined, the definition goes further, stating that it is an appearance of the Spirit. How apropos.
We have the Spirit of the living God indwelling us, the incarnate Christ Himself. Do others see this? Acts 4:13 says: Now, as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
I am currently not who I should be, but I thank God for His grace, mercy, and work helping me slowly become who He made me to be (glory halleluiah).
Our salvation and life are for a purpose: for the common good of others. As we fall in love with God and glorify Him, the world becomes a better place for us and others as we share the living water of His Spirit.
In my book What God May Say, I believe God may say this to all of us: “You are the masterpiece I made, but you are also a work in progress. The finished work is not complete until that day you come Home, or until I come back to get you.
In the meantime, use the gifts of excellence I have loaned you for a purpose. I love you enough to trust you with some invaluable tools and my Spirit.
Spending time with Me will enable you to do Kingdom work as I transform your mind, body, and soul. This time with Me is more than a time of preparation; it is also a time of fulfillment.
You are becoming who I made you to be. Keep going.”
So, how do we do this? How is God manifested in us? Ken Gire hits the nail on the head: “Love changes us in ways that the law cannot. Spiritual formation, a term used to describe the process of being changed into the image of Christ, doesn’t happen by following disciplines.
It happens by falling in love. When we fall in love with Jesus, all the other loves in our lives fall into place. Everything in our life finds its proper value once we have properly valued Him.”
So, our incredible gift is to fall in love with Jesus. Oswald Chambers reminds us, “Beware of harking back to what you were once when God wants you to be something you have never been.” He reminds us: “The Holy Spirit is the One Who makes real in you all that Jesus did for you.” Thank you, Jesus. I love you more today.
Prayer: Thank you for the gift of Your Spirit, which makes manifesting Your gifts possible.