I thought of writing a fictional story of Nate and Katie again, but thought I wouldn’t this time. Maybe I can communicate what’s in my head without a story. I’ve repeatedly come across a mindset among Christians that concerns me somewhat. It’s the idea that we must be cautious in regards to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He desires to give to us–gifts we are told to “earnestly covet”. I understand partially the cautious attitude, but sense an underlying spirit of fear. And, I do not believe fear is needed when God is the giver of the gift.
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead given him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13
Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:16-17
God’s gifts to us are good–ALWAYS! This is part of the reason I have 10 children. They are a gift from God and I trust that His gifts are good. I never need to fear that a gift from God will turn out to harm me. Look at the passage from Luke. Would I, as a mother, ever think to give my child a scorpion when he asks me for an egg?? Absolutely not! An egg is helpful, nutritious and good for my child; a scorpion is not good, nor nutritious and carries with it a harmful, poisonous sting. A fish is healthy, needful for the body without cause for concern; a serpent will bite and release deadly venom. Both these things are requests of the child that the child needs for his life and the mother knows this. A good mother would never compromise the health of her child by giving him something that is dangerous, poisonous and not in anyway helpful to the child.
If I know this, as a fallible human who can be selfish at times, how much more confidence I can place that when I request something from the Lord-something He is telling me to ask for; something that is healthy and needful for the body, why would I ever think His gift would carry a sting? And, in this passage, the gift that is mentioned is the very gift we often fear-that of the Holy Spirit.
We all realize this and so we say we are actually warning against the misuses and abuses that we have seen in the name of these gifts. Satan can distort the gifts that God has given.He has his counterfeits, yes. Always remember that if there is a counterfeit, it suggests the existence of something real and something valuable. No one counterfeits something that is not real or is of little value. Satan seems to take great delight in counterfeiting the Holy Spirit. This tells me that the Holy Spirit is a great gift that my Heavenly Father wants to give me.
I recognize completely that Satan does influence people to misuse the gifts that God has given or wants to give us. But, is that reason to say no to the gift? That’s what I often hear and I fail to see the logic of it. God gives good gifts-we know that. So, therefore, the Holy Spirit is a good gift. Satan distorts them-yes. But, the fact that Satan distorts God’s gifts causes us to fear God’s gifts???? Is that not making our devil too big and our God too small? Or, are we maybe trusting too much in Satan’s power to distort these gifts and not so much in God’s power to teach us to use those gifts for His glory and the edification of the body?
Furthermore, are we fully recognizing the danger of NOT using the gifts that God gives us. Think of the unfaithful servant who was afraid to use the gift his master had given him for the profit of his master. He buried it and Scripture tells us he was cast out into the darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.(Matt. 25:14-30)
Which risk are you willing to take? Which danger are you most fearful of? For me, I’ll trust in the mercies of God to keep me and will ask continually for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I will earnestly covet them with all of my heart. And, I will fully exercise the gifts He wants to give me for His glory and the building up of His body. I will NOT bury it and disappoint my Master, risking His anger and disappointment.
For me, I stand on the conviction that ALL of God’s gifts to me are good, particularly those which He encourages me to ask for, to earnestly covet. He would never tell me to earnestly covet something that carries with it deadly poison. He would never hand me a gift that would turn and destroy me. I recognize Satan can distort and misuse these gifts, but I can stand on the conviction that the God who saved me and loves me is the same God that can keep me and give me discernment against deception.
“I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 24