Day 7 - The Christmas Season Devotionals
January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
Romans 12:1-8
“On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Seven Swans A-swimming.”
The "seven swans a-swimming" represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and mercy/compassion (Romans 12:6-8). God's desire is to bring all things in creation, under the lordship of Christ (Ephesians 1). He gave us gifts that would enable us to work together as one body, His body (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). These gifts were given to the people of God to enhance their relationships with one another, in order to grow and be built up to do the work of God, (Ephesians 4:1-16). We as his children, are to be proactive in the use of these gifts. We are to exercise them and use them so as to participate in the vision and plan God has for the world, and to unite us together in order to stand strong in the midst of the temptations and evil that surround us.
The metaphor that surrounds the Swans is that of a swimmer. Swimmers are gifted athletes, disciplined in the pursuit of their sport. We who are the body of Christ, are to be active and disciplined in the pursuit of God’s will, love and grace. Like trained swimmers we are to be "in the pool, about our Father’s business."
Action Point: How are you using your gifts as individuals…as a community? What gifts do you see present in your faith community?
Happy New Year!
Romans 12:1-8
“On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Seven Swans A-swimming.”
The "seven swans a-swimming" represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and mercy/compassion (Romans 12:6-8). God's desire is to bring all things in creation, under the lordship of Christ (Ephesians 1). He gave us gifts that would enable us to work together as one body, His body (1 Corinthians 12:8-11). These gifts were given to the people of God to enhance their relationships with one another, in order to grow and be built up to do the work of God, (Ephesians 4:1-16). We as his children, are to be proactive in the use of these gifts. We are to exercise them and use them so as to participate in the vision and plan God has for the world, and to unite us together in order to stand strong in the midst of the temptations and evil that surround us.
The metaphor that surrounds the Swans is that of a swimmer. Swimmers are gifted athletes, disciplined in the pursuit of their sport. We who are the body of Christ, are to be active and disciplined in the pursuit of God’s will, love and grace. Like trained swimmers we are to be "in the pool, about our Father’s business."
Action Point: How are you using your gifts as individuals…as a community? What gifts do you see present in your faith community?