Abusing Giftings

When I first met a certain friend, I was sitting in a public place talking with some people about some spiritual things that I don’t currently remember. Another friend brought him to the table and introduced us.

He said to me, “I hear that you allow people to speak in tongues in your home meetings.” He wanted to know if there was always someone present who could interpret, and further asked, “How to you keep people from abusing tongues?”

I responded that I thought the spiritual gift of teacher was far more abused in Western Christianity than the gift of tongues was. He groaned loudly and leaned back in his chair with the back of his hand against his forehead. I started to say something that was more of an answer to his question about meetings I was leading, but he said loudly, “No! I can’t take any more right now.”

I thought that he was just being dramatic, but discovered that the Spirit was showing him that a much greater danger than the gift of tongues not being interpreted among God’s people was being ignored. Teachers were running the business of church, and shaking their fingers at every ministry but their own.

When congregations and cities and businesses and schools and all the rest are being led by people who are bringing their spiritual gifts to answer questions and problems and enemies, everything will be different.

Pray for gifted leaders.