We All Have Gifts

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When Moses put the spirit onto seventy elders, they prophesied. When the spirit rested upon two others who had not been present with the seventy, they also prophesied.

Apparently concerned about station or status, Joshua pled with Moses to stop those two elders from prophesying, but Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:24-29).

Moses said nothing about age, authority, or gender. Rather, he said all. We shouldn’t get angry or defensive when someone exercises spiritual gifts? There are enough for everyone.

John told Christ, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” But Christ wasn’t threatened or jealous. “Do not stop him,” He told John, “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us . . . anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name . . . will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mark 9:38-41).

Like Moses, Christ didn’t mention authority, age, or gender, or political or religious affiliation. He said, anyone.

Paul understood. He said, “We all have gifts” (Romans 12:6). Women and men of God need not be defensive or jealous of others’ gifts. There is room for all.