Quote Originally Posted by Emily View Post
The problem with the focus on spiritual gifts is that it becomes all about self.
That appears to be your problem, spiritual gifts are the tools that Jesus uses to minister God's Love through the Holy Spirit, in turn through us yielded vessels, to a lost and dieing world... Look at Jesus, He is the model showing how the Holy Spirit works...

Everything that is good, everything that is pure, everything that is of God points to Christ and to His glory, not our own.

It is in our weakness that He is strong.
I agree with that, it's all about Jesus, He is our Head. If we obey Him when He tells us to do something to minister to someone, then He gets the glory and that person is blessed.
It isn't about self edification about 'our gifts' but all about God's glory and everything points to Christ and His gift of grace.
You won't find that taught in the Word and your statement as a whole reveals your imperfect understanding of "self edification". First of all, the nine gifts of the Holy spirit is used publicly under the unction of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of ministering to the public and when used only under the Holy Spirit's direction, always points to Jesus and glorifies Jesus. When you pray in the spirit in your privacy, then you are edified. That's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:4,

(AMP) He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].

(Bishops) He that speaketh with the tongue, edifieth hym selfe: he that prophesieth, edifieth the Churche.

(Darby) He that speaks with a tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the assembly.

(EMTV) He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

(Geneva) He that speaketh strange language, edifieth himselfe: but hee that prophecieth, edifieth the Church.

(GW) When a person speaks in another language, he helps himself grow. But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he helps the church grow.

(KJV) He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

(KJV+) He that speakethG2980 in an unknown tongueG1100 edifiethG3618 himself;G1438 butG1161 he that prophesiethG4395 edifiethG3618 the church.G1577

(LITV) The one speaking in a tongue builds himself up, but he prophesying builds up an assembly.

(MSG) The one who prays using a private "prayer language" certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God's truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength.

(Webster) He that speaketh in an unknown language edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

(WNT) He who speaks in an unknown tongue does good to himself, but he who prophesies does good to the Church.

(YLT) he who is speaking in an unknown tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify;
Any gift that a person has needs to be served in humility and without self.

We are not to covet anything.
Please study to show yourself approved... Paul, under the unction of the Holy Spirit wrote that we are to covet eagerly the best gifts in;

1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.


We do not wield the power of the Spirit.
No, we are not to 'wield' as if we, in ourselves, have total control of the ministerial gift. We are to yield to the Holy Spirit because we are His vessels.
We are vessels of love and ambassadors of Christ. We are to become like Christ. He is humble and gentle in spirit.
Which is the reason we have to yield to Him, if we are to be used in a mighty and powerful way that brings glory to the Lord.

Again, it is through our weakness that He is strong.
But if you don't yield to the Holy Spirit the way Jesus yielded to the Holy Spirit, then you can't be strong in His might.
It is through our struggles that His light and mercy shines.
Only if, in our struggles, we learn and gain the victory from it and glorify the Lord by it, after all, John said in;

1Jn_5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

He didn't say, "for whatsoever is born of God struggleth". No, if we follow His commands and His directions as recorded in His Word, which He left for us, we should, with the Holy Spirit our teacher, learn from our mistakes and grow into spiritual representations of who we really are. To wit, kings. Isn't Jesus the King of Kings? Who are the kings? we are, not only in the world to come, but we are supposed to occupy in this world, too.

So, if there's a struggle, learn God's remedy for it and through your faith in what God said, obtain the victory...

Hallelujah!