TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• A Facebook friend of mine posted one of those interesting social questions that encourages conversation. The question was “What am I good at?” It’s a bit of a loaded question that may yield interesting answers, and it’s a question that you post cautiously, praying that no one responds with, “Nothing.” In all seriousness, the friend who posted this is delightful. I’m certain she’s getting plenty of positive feedback.
As I kept scrolling, I kind of wondered what responses I might get, but those kinds of posts aren’t really my thing… But what is a very interesting assessment for gauging your talents is a Spiritual Gifts test.
We ALL have a spiritual gift. We know from 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 that spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building up and strengthening the church. Some scriptural examples of spiritual gifts include wisdom, knowledge, faith, service, teaching, generosity, leadership, mercy, etc. Unfortunately, many Christians act like they have nothing to offer. That couldn’t be further from the truth! The Holy Spirit has equipped all believers with a gift; we just have to take the time to find it, commit it to the Lord, and then use it!
While you could go to Facebook to seek opinions about your gifts, I personally go back to the idea of a Spiritual Gifts Assessment. I’ve taken a couple. On SpiritualGiftsTest.com, I scored highest in Faith, Administration, Wisdom, Serving/Ministering, Exhortation, and Teaching. On GiftsTest.com, I scored highest in Administration, Teaching, Service, Evangelism, and Faith.
I think there’s some value to doing two different tests so that common traits may feel more validated. For instance, I can readily accept that administration is a gift because I use that a lot in my work… I like administrative work. The teaching one though is harder for me to swallow… I don’t feel qualified to teach anything and doing it in person?? Ugh! The first few Sundays I taught Sunday School, I was obsessively chewing peppermints in an effort to calm my stomach. Taking the second test helped me to feel that one wasn’t a fluke. I just have to pray a whole lot more over the teaching gift!
I highly recommend reading Charles Stanley’s book, “The Spirit-Filled Life.” He spoke of spiritual gifts in it and something he wrote has stuck with me for years—when we use our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church, it energizes us! And I’ve found this to be very true. In a previous role I served in at Proverbs 31 Ministries, I was in a behind-the-scenes team. My group leader put out an urgent call for someone to work on one of the team spreadsheets. I was in a horrible mood that night but I didn’t have anything else to do, so I volunteered. An hour later, I was in a much better frame of mind. I realized the truth of Charles Stanley’s words firsthand… when I used my administrative gifts for the ministry (or as I dubbed it later—“Spreadsheets for Jesus!), indeed, I was re-energized.
It may feel like there aren’t any options to serve right now. But the church needs willing workers more than ever! If you haven’t taken a Spiritual Gifts test, I encourage you to do so and then, pray for the Holy Spirit to show you where to use them.
Today, as you pray, thank the Holy Spirit for the unique gifts He has given you. Ask Him to give you a heart that is willing to give your gifts back to the church. Ask Him for the opportunity to serve.
SHARING ••• Please share with others! Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. ***Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture references are from the ESV translation.
