Don’t worry. I’m not starting a series of blog posts on Spiritual Gifts. Although that’s always a good way to increase blog traffic and provoke comments. No rather I just want to focus on one – giving.

We’re told to “eagerly desire” spiritual gifts. I for one didn’t have giving on my list of ones to desire. Of course it’s not mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, although it is included in Romans 12:8.

We tend to view giving as a bit of a chore, just another bill to be paid each month, most of the time completely unaware as the direct debit kicks in. But it seems Giving really is a Spiritual Gift, in the same category as healing, tongues, prophecy etc. Here are some reasons why that’s true:

• Giving appears as a Spiritual Gift in Romans 12:8
• God has given grace to the churches in Macedonia, that causes them to give (2 Cor 8:1-2)
• Paul urges the Corinthians to ‘excel’ in giving (2 Cor 8:7) – that’s the same language that Paul uses to describe Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor 14:12)
• Giving encourages the church