For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.–Rom. 1:11
“I long to see you–“. It is a sad fact that, if we’re honest, we often don’t want to see others. We just want to be left alone and not interrupted. We certainly don’t want to be bothered if they have needs and are looking to us for help. But, Paul was different. He actually wanted to be with people. Notice why—“that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift”. He didn’t want to see them to get something, but to give something. He wanted to be a blessing and give them something that would be helpful in life and ministry. It would be good if we were like-minded.
J. R. Miller wrote: “We ought always to desire to be a blessing to those we love. God sends many of his best spiritual gifts, through human hearts and hands. There could be no fitter morning prayer, as we go out for the day, than that we may be permitted to carry some help, comfort, instruction, inspiration, courage, or cheer—to every life that our life touches. There are always those who need such help. No aim in life is nobler—than to be a help to others in all gentle, quiet ways.
We should make sure, too, that it is the best we have, that we impart to others. There are times when the best thing we can do for a man is to make him laugh. But there are other gifts which we should seek to impart. Sometimes it is cheer to a disheartened spirit. Sometimes it is comfort for sorrow. Sometimes it is the inspiration of a fresh thought which we have found. We should make sure at least that to everyone we meet—we are ready to impart some gift which will do him good.”
