{"id":603,"date":"2008-11-25T00:01:58","date_gmt":"2008-11-25T00:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/spiritual-gifts-and-the-priority-of-love.html"},"modified":"2008-11-25T00:01:58","modified_gmt":"2008-11-25T00:01:58","slug":"spiritual-gifts-and-the-priority-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/spiritual-gifts-and-the-priority-of-love.html","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Gifts and the Priority of Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 13 of series: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nIf you want to grow in your experience of spiritual gifts, Paul urges you to eagerly seek those gifts that build up the body of Christ. But, you’ll recall, that’s not all he says: “Pursue love,” he begins, and then “keep on eagerly desiring spiritual manifestations” (1 Cor 14:1, my translation). The Greek verb translated here as “pursue” connotes an aggressive search. It can also mean “hunt” or “chase after.” In other words, we must fix our sights upon love as a hunter upon a target, making every effort to love. With this motivation behind us, we should strive for spiritual gifts. If you seek to love people actively, spiritual gifts will follow. If you love the body of Christ, bits of grace will flow through you to build that body.
\nWhen I was at Irvine Presbyterian Church, we regularly prayed for those who were sick. Sometimes we saw amazing healings. Usually our experiences were less dramatic. But, no matter what the outcome, our job was to pray. God’s job was to do with our prayers as he saw fit. We prayed for each other, not only because it was our job as Christians, but also because we loved each other.
\nFor example, I remember a time when a group of us came together between Sunday morning worship services to pray for a young woman named Amy. She was about to undergo serious surgery and we gathered to pray for her healing. As many people offered their intercessions, it was obvious to me that we were motivated by a deep love for Amy and her family. We poured out our hearts to God, eager for a spiritual gift of healing to be given. We weren’t concerned about getting some kind of spiritual buzz or demonstrating our miraculous powers. We simply wanted Amy to be healed and her family to be touched with God’s peace. We pursued love, and because we loved, we eagerly desired a spiritual gift.
\nAmy was not healed dramatically. What happened during our time of prayer wouldn’t have made good television. Amy’s surgery went well, better than expected. We’ll never know what the Holy Spirit did in her body as we prayed, or in the hours thereafter. But we do know that because we prayed in love, Amy felt loved, both by those who prayed for her and by the Lord. God’s work was done through that time of prayer and it was a blessed work. I don’t know whether the Spirit gave a gift of healing or not, but I do know that he ministered with power and we were privileged to be a part of it.
\nFor many years of my Christian life I didn’t pray for people to be physically healed, or, at least I didn’t lay hands on them and pray as if God would actually do something. I was very good at praying for “the doctor’s hands” and for medicine to work wonders. I still am good at praying for these things. I believe God uses all means at his disposal to heal, including medical science. But I never used to pray for people to be healed because I believed that I didn’t “have the gift of healing.” I had heard about people who went to healing crusades led by Kathryn Kuhlman, who seemed by all accounts to “have the gift.” A friend of mine had been dramatically healed of a chronic back condition as he attended one of her meetings. I knew I wasn’t gifted like Kathryn Kuhlman, so I didn’t pray for miraculous healings.
\nIn the 1980s my theology of spiritual gifts underwent the shift I mentioned above. I realized that, as a Christian filled with the Spirit, I could minister in all of the gifts, at least in principle. At that time I joined the staff of my home church, Hollywood Presbyterian. I watched as the pastors and elders, few of whom would claim to have “a healing ministry” in the Kathryn Kuhlman sense, faithfully laid hands on the sick and prayed for their healing.
\nOne of my closest friends was an Associate Pastor named Scott. He was a fireball for healing, praying for people every day. You might suppose that Scott was simply naive, a young pastor who got a bit too excited about the biblical promises of healing. But this supposition couldn’t be further from the truth. Even though he was only in his late twenties, Scott was a cancer survivor. He had suffered greatly. He knew the pain of praying for healing and hearing God’s “no.” He knew that God works through doctors, surgeries, and medicines. Yet because Scott trusted the Bible, and because he loved people, he couldn’t help but pray for their healing. He pursued love and eagerly desired the spiritual gifts. As I hung out with Scott, I was drawn along to pray for that which had always seemed far beyond the range of my giftedness. It was exciting. It was scary. Sometimes it was joyous. Sometimes it was heart-wrenching. But always it was stepping out in faith to do pursue love.
\nOne day a woman named Maria came to Hollywood Pres seeking financial assistance. She was a single mother who was the sole support for her family. But Maria had begun to struggle with a mysterious physical condition that covered her legs with debilitating, painful sores. She was so poor that she couldn’t get appropriate medical assistance. A doctor in a clinic had told Maria that an operation might help her, but she couldn’t begin to afford it. Her physical condition deteriorated to the point where she lost her job. She came to the church to get financial help for her family and perhaps some money for pain-killers. The church was able to provide her with some financial assistance, but her problems seemed overwhelming, so far beyond what we could handle. (Photo: The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood)
\nBefore Maria left, I asked if I could pray for her. My wife Linda was nearby, so the two of us sat with Maria, laid hands on her, and began to pray. As we interceded for Maria, we both felt powerful love for her, great compassion for her suffering. We prayed for her finances, for her family, and especially for her legs to be healed. After we finished praying, Maria said she felt deeply moved. She knew that God loved her in a way she had never known before. Linda and I were glad, but a bit disappointed that God didn’t do something to heal Maria’s legs. That was the last I ever saw of Maria.
\nThree months later I received a phone call at church. “This is Maria,” the voice said, “I am calling to thank you.”
\n“Maria? Maria?” I repeated, trying to place the voice. “I am so sorry, but I don’t remember who you are.”
\n“Oh,” she said, “I’m the one with those terrible leg sores. Don’t you remember that you and your wife prayed for me?”
\n“Of course I do. I’m sorry I forgot your name.”
\n“I’m back at work now,” Maria continued, “and I wanted to thank you.”
\n“You are certainly welcome,” I said, “but we didn’t do much at all. We gave you some money for your medicine, but that’s about it. I wished we could have done more.”
\n“Oh, you did to more. Don’t you remember? You prayed for me, to be healed. Remember? I’m calling because your prayer worked. Very soon after I left your church my legs began to get better. They kept on getting better. In a few days I could return to work. Now I’m just fine. God healed my legs completely. I want to thank you for praying for me.”
\nTo this day I marvel over that whole experience. What a joy to be used by God in such a special way! That time of prayer for Maria serves as a paradigm for my ongoing ministry in the Spirit. My job as a Christian, not just as a pastor, is to love people. If they are suffering, that love translates easily into prayer. If they are sick, I seek a gift of healing. The results are usually not as dramatic as Maria’s, but that’s not my responsibility. You and I can’t guarantee what the Spirit will do when we step out to minister, but if we love, if we make ourselves available, and if we pray, God’s work will be done. People will be healed, saved, and loved. The body of Christ will be built up. And you and I will have the joy of being used by God in his marvelous work of grace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 13 of series: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series If you want to grow in your experience of spiritual gifts, Paul urges you to eagerly seek those gifts that build up the body of Christ. But, you’ll recall, that’s not all he says: “Pursue…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spiritual-gifts"],"yoast_head":"\nSpiritual Gifts and the Priority of Love - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}