Devotional
Here is a truth that can be uncomfortable to sit with: you can carry a genuine spiritual gift and still have a heart that is far from God. Scripture does not shy away from this. Balaam prophesied accurately. King Saul moved in the Spirit. Judas performed miracles alongside the other disciples. Yet none of them were walking in right relationship with God. The gift was real. The grace was absent. Jesus made this even more sobering in Matthew 7, where He described people who would stand before Him on the day of judgment pointing to their miracles and mighty works, only to hear the words, “I never knew you.” The gifts did not save them. The gifts did not even define them. This is not meant to make you doubt every good thing God has done through you. It is meant to redirect your attention. The question worth asking is not “What can I do for God?” but “Do I actually know Him?” A gift can operate through an unchanged heart. Love cannot. Love requires transformation from the inside out. Let this be an invitation today to go deeper than your gifting. Pursue the Giver, not just the gift.
Bible Verse
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:22-23
Reflection Question
If your spiritual gifts were removed tomorrow, what would remain as evidence of your relationship with God?
Quote
“You can have the gifts and not have Christ, because the gifts are not a marker of the grace.”
Prayer
Father, I want to know You, not just serve You. Search my heart and make sure what is on the inside matches what others see on the outside. Amen.