14 Covet earnestly the best gifts
14. Covet earnestly the best gifts Autobigraphy - James H. Oliphant :-
CHAPTER XIV.
It is said we should "1 Corinthians 12:3covet earnestly the best gifts." The church may lawfully covet the best gifts. The true minister is a gift to the church, and no church can live without such a gift. The church should be thankful for a gift, and should do its duty by that gift. It is a hard office to fill; he has expenses to care for his loved ones, and often churches fail to do their duty by their ministers. "1 Corinthians 12:31“Yet show I unto you a more excellent way " This points out the most essential gift. It is to love the church, to love the Savior; not learning, nor diplomas, but sincere love to God and his cause. This will enable him to deny himself and serve the churches, not for filthy lucre’s sake, but of a ready mind. 1 Peter 5:2"The Spirit said, Separate me Saul and Barnabas to the work whereunto I have called them."Acts 13:2When a true gift is in the church the members will find it out, and it will not be necessary to urge one’s own ordination. All Israel knew the lad "Samuel was a prophet in Israel."1 Samuel 3:20When all the church is sure there is a gift in the body it is a time of gladness, We should pray the Lord of the harvest to bless us with faithful men, and when the Lord blesses the church with a gift it should do right by him.
I have had the care of a family all the way, and children never cease to be a burden to their parents, though they have homes of their own. I left home often in tears and left my wife in tears; but the brethren have generally been kind and aided me to pay my debts and buy my groceries. While some have been neglectful, shamefully so, there have been true brethren that came to my relief. My father-in-law was opposed to my becoming a minister. He thought that I would fail to support my family. But he was convinced that he was wrong before he died. I have always paid my debts, and always had plenty to eat and to wear. I am out of debt, and have a home. The brethren have been good to us and I love them very much. I have not had a great many friends, but they have been dear, good ones. Some are dead and some are yet spared to me, and I shall have dear friends until I am called home. A Presbyterian minister once asked me how it was that I had a home and things with no salary, and no system to raise money from the people. I told him that we believed that if a man loved the church and the members, and preached to them for their good, that good people would notice it, and would want him to keep at it, and would fix it so that he could keep at it. I told him that I believed this, and had given my life to the churches on this principle, and I could sincerely recommend it as a safe course to pursue. I hope I have been called to the ministry. I have about the same evidence of it that I have that I have had an experience of grace.
If you have a minister in your church that you believe to be a gift to the church, use him as such. If you have a wedding in your home, call on him to perform the ceremony. If you have a death in your home, do not send away for someone else, but call on him. It is so that a true minister will be inclined to doubt his fitness to be of any service to the church, and when the members discard him in these things it will discourage him.