With the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy:
to speak forth the message of God to His people
Greek word: prophetes (‘pro’=forth; ‘phemi’=to speak)
Servant #1: He was a retired pastor who no longer did much preaching, but often would lead in the pastoral prayer. You could still hear the pronouncements toward sin and righteousness as he prayed about the social woes and problems in the church. Often your own heart would be brought under conviction as you listened to his prayers filled with Scripture about God’s desires for His people.
Servant #2: He worked with young people in his church. His lessons tended to focus on what he saw wrong in their lives. His heart was for them to grow in the Lord and to live holy lives. Though well-intentioned, his persistent and strong emphasis on the sin in their lives caused students to feel put down.
Both of these servants had the gift of prophecy. They couldn’t help but see the contrast between what should be and what was in people’s lives and speak up. They felt compelled to speak forth the Word of truth into a situation. Yet, you see a different outcome in the lives of those to whom they spoke truth.
Lesson to be learned:
Let’s remember that spiritual gifts must be used through God’s power and line up with His purpose and principles. The ultimate purpose of any gift is for the common good and building up of God’s people. Gifts can be misused which was happening in the church of Corinth. 1 Corinthians 14 specifically states that the use of the gift of prophecy is to be done for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and consolation. It is not simply about saying what you believe needs to be said or bringing people under condemnation. It must be coupled with grace for people to get beyond simply feeling condemned. Jesus, who left us an example, was full of grace AND truth (Jn. 1:14). We are to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
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Thank you so much for this – I had ZERO idea I had this spiritual gift. Now the distinction between these two approaches you show above succinctly captures where I am with others, and what I am doing wrong with friends and colleagues and especially my husband and my children (not believers). Since becoming a Christian two+ years ago, I am full of zeal and love to talk about nothing more than the Lord, but need to be much more sensitive to the above! I know I apparently have worn some of them down, and actually have lost one close friendship to just exactly what is described above. OH!! how this has blessed and illuminated for me what I need to study and put first in my heart…grace grace grace! Thank you so very much for these discernment-filled examples.
I praise God for your teachable spirit. Understanding these tendencies is a starting point to making changes. Truth is ever so important but so is grace. You might want to read the article, Grace & Truth – Not a Matter of Balance. If you make a conscientious effort to stop and pray and think about BOTH grace and truth, it should help you in future relationships. I pray you keep that zeal but that it is tempered with grace in its expression.