1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV) -- All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

The more you contemplate the Scriptures and their teaching on God’s sovereignty, the more you recognize His rule and will over all things. We see from Scripture that God is sovereign over creating the world. He is sovereign over making each of us individually, that we would exist. The Scriptures teach He chooses our times, eras, and places of existence. We also read that God is sovereign over our salvation. There are so many evidences and examples of how pervasive God’s sovereignty truly is, but one area that it doesn’t get emphasized very much is in our gifts and abilities. 

Our passage today speaks to that very issue. We read from Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:11, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” This passage shows us that God is sovereign over the selection of our spiritual gifts that we receive at conversion. 

“All these” in context of 1 Corinthians 12 are the spiritual gifts. The chapter is about the role of each believer in the church to help disciple other Christians. Each person has a spiritual gift. The gifts are empowered by one and the same Spirit. This means that God, through the Holy Spirit, empowers these gifts. He is the means that makes them effective. The reason we know our gifts will bear fruit is because the Holy Spirit empowers them for their intended purpose. 

Then Paul expounds on it and says those gifts are apportioned to each one individually as the Spirit wills. This is a huge statement. The supernatural spiritual gifts that we are given come after conversion, and they are chosen by God. He is sovereign over what gifts you have to use for the kingdom. This means that we should recognize God’s meticulous care in choosing our spiritual gifts for us. He plans to create us, puts us on the earth when and where He wants us, and He chooses to save us and redeem us from our sins. But His sovereign particulars over our lives go even to the realm of gifts and abilities. So don’t be jealous of other people’s gifts. God chose your gifts. Use them to glorify Him and serve others. This is the greatest way for you to fulfill the calling of God in your life.

Reflection & Journal:
- Why do we often neglect connecting God’s sovereignty to our spiritual gifts?
- What does it tell us about our spiritual gifts that God decided what we would have?
- How does this passage encourage you and spur you on?

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