Don't Stop. Won't Stop.
What does it mean to have the spiritual gift of prophecy?
This year, the Holy Spirit called me to go deeper in my relationship with God in a new way: Exploring what it means to have the spiritual gift of prophecy.
I am exploring this gift a little more through a daily prophetic-themed devotional. I am learning about how God interacts with prophets in the Bible and how that applies to my own journey. To have this gift means that you speak God’s truth.
As I began to write this post on the day we remember and celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., I am struck by how much this Scripture reference from my devotion resonated with King’s calling to speak Jesus into a broken world, filled with tension, political upheaval and challenging race relations.
I don’t know for sure, but it seems that MLK Jr. had the spiritual gift of prophecy.
MLK, ordained as a preacher, was hated in his lifetime. Many of those who lashed out against him were fellow Christians. There are plenty of people still alive today that can attest to that.
MLK Jr’s daughter posted only color pictures this year as a reminder that it hasn’t been that long since her father was alive and pursuing justice in this nation. And this week I learned that within my own lifetime, a Super Bowl was taken away from a state in our union for refusing to acknowledge the paid holiday.
While everyone, myself included, posts quotes from MLK Jr. on this day each year, I am not sure this action is changing the way we live and love our neighbors every single day.
But if MLK was prophesying about the truth Jesus spoke, shouldn’t we also be sharing Jesus’ words with others in the way we live our lives and our actions?
“There is a power in love that our world has not discovered yet. Jesus discovered it centuries ago. Mahatma Gandhi of India discovered it a few years ago, but most men and most women never discover it. For they believe in hitting for hitting; they believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; they believe in hating for hating; but Jesus comes to us and says, 'This isn't the way.’” -MLK Jr.
MLK was not perfect, but neither were any of the ancient prophets. We seem to idolize the imperfect people that are scattered all over the Biblical narrative, but then we look at our neighbor and speak poorly of them. If we recognize the gifts that God has given to us, then we ought to also recognize when someone else is using his/her gifts for God’s glory.
As I am in the early stages of exploring what it means to prophesy, this devotional quote brought encouragement. As believers and followers of Jesus we should never stop speaking of his radical message of love.
“The true prophets didn’t lash out in the midst of persecution. They didn’t defend themselves. And they didn’t stop prophesying. They stayed the course.” (LeClaire, 30)