Desire Spiritual Gifts by John Piper
English: Peresopnytsia Gospels. 1556-1561. Miniature of Saint Matthew. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The apostle bookends his famous chapter on love ( 1 Corinthians 13) with these two (perhaps surprising) charges: “earnestly desire the higher gifts” and “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy ” (1 Corinthians 12:31 ; 1 Corinthians 14:1). God means that we desire all of his gifts, not to glut our selfishness, but to selflessly strengthen others — “so that the church may be built up” (1 Corinthians 14:5). Here are ten ways and reasons from the New Testament to desire all the spiritual gifts, not just the comfortable ones. Desire all the spiritual gifts because you desire God himself. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Desire all the spiritual gifts, knowing that “the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 ; cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:3). Compared to other “highe...