1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12It is very hard to imagine this was written by the same man that hunted down Christians to see them put to death just a few years before. This is how Christ can change people, take hatred out of them and put love into them. This is also very telling about His forgiveness. He saw the good Saul of Tarsus had within him as well as the love he felt for God. Saul was wrong on where he let his passion lead him and Christ forgave him. Saul of Tarsus then a changed man became St. Paul.
Each of us has a place on this earth. A thing we were intended to do. None of us are prefect in any of it but we are not supposed to be. We are simply supposed to just do our best with whatever we do and whatever we are provided with to do it.
I am a Chaplain to take care of people. I was not called to be a member of clergy and would not want to become one even if I could. My faith as a Greek Orthodox does not allow women clergy. Still even if it did, I was not called to fill the pews of a church but to talk to people as simple, as book "uneducated" theologically and as average as I am. I may know a bit more than the next person but believe me, some of the people I come in contact with as Chaplains would humble the best at any church. My "church" is wherever I am, taking care of people around me or sent to me as I try to provide what God provided me with. While sometimes I wish I could count heads of the "flock" the way my priest can, I can only see what a difference I make in their emails when they come to me online or in their voice when we talk. Sometimes I forget that and wonder why I do it at all. Other times I want to walk away and think about my own problems. Then comes the times when I feel totally inadequate to do anything about so many hurting people. What follows is remembering that I was alone in all of this, had no one to talk to, no one to offer me hope and no one to go to other than Holy Trinity. Then I know I can't stop because too many others feel no one can understand what they are going thru.
The clergy have a hard time understanding any of this. How can they understand feeling totally hopeless when all they do is preach about hope? How can they understand constant inner turmoil when they preach about inner peace? How can they understand feeling so totally lost that you can't find reason to want to live, when they preach about the Good Shepherd find the lost sheep? They can't understand much about any of this because they have never lived through it or with it.
I can give back hope but I can replace a minister. They know a lot more than I do about theology.
I can help you understand what PTSD is and why you feel the way you do, but I cannot replace a psychologist or a psychiatrist. They know what I do not know and will probably never know.
I can combine the two, mind and spirit help but there is only so far I can take you toward healing.
That has to be the most frustrating part in all of this. There used to be a time when I could get you to the point where I could talk someone into going for help knowing they would have someone waiting to help them. Now I know they will have to wait in a very long line. While I am hopeful this will soon change, there are thousands of veterans waiting for help and even more family members waiting for their family members to be helped.
This nation needs more people trained to help from mental health to spiritual healers. From laymen to chaplains to clergy. From social workers all the way up to psychiatrists. Each one of us will be just as important as the next all doing what is helpful to our veterans. If you have a heart to do this work for them, please think of what you are being called to do and answer the call. Too many of our veterans are dying for your attention and families feeling totally lost. If you can't be an arm then be a foot. If you can't be a foot than be an ear. Do what you are good at no matter how small of a place you feel is waiting for you and make a difference.
If you feel you cannot be forgiven, think of what Christ did with Saul and then try to find another excuse for not asking for forgiveness. If He forgave Saul, He can forgive anyone.
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
You can be there to listen when they need to talk. Let them know you care and if you don't understand, learn. If you cannot learn then do not give advice. They've heard "get over it" too many times already,
You can be there to let them know someone cares. Call them and ask how they are doing but don't let it go if they say fine and you hear them sobbing.
If you are going some place you think they may like to go, invite them. Don't force them but let them know they are welcomed to come with you. If they are a member of your family, this is a good thing to do. Don't force them or try to guilt them into it. They have enough weight on their guilt scale already. Just let them know they do matter to you and they are always welcomed no matter where you are. Don't try to force because you'll all be miserable.
There is a lot you can do to help a person heal. You just have to be willing to try and that's the best start of all. If you really want to help, they apply what you already have inside of yourself and find the compassion you have for their sake. They are not treating you the way they do out of anything else but their own pain.
