A Gift for You

Gifts are just as much fun to give as they are to receive, so imagine the joy of the Holy Spirit when He presented you with your spiritual gifts! Like Christmas, every time a child is born, lavish gifts are bestowed with the divine intent and desire they be used for the glory of God.

While the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) help us grow more into the image of Christ, spiritual gift are special abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of ministry. These gifts are supernatural abilities that may spring from a a person’s natural ability, but ultimately go above and beyond natural talent. While we are born with talents we are born again with spiritual gifts.

So, what gifts has the Spirit given you? Though no one receives every gift, God give all His children at least one and most likely two or three. Look at the gifts below and see what fits. What attracts you like a magnet and comes most natural?

1. Administration – Goal and objective oriented individuals coordinate resources to accomplish tasks quickly.

2. Evangelism – Strong desire to share the gospel with nonbelievers in every situation and by all possible means.

3. Exhortation – Special ability to encourage others in the body of Christ by giving them words of comfort. Eager to help others grow spiritually by sharing past personal failures.

4. Giving – Love to give material or financial goods so that the needs of the Lord’s work are met. Often good in money management.

5. Helps – Desire to further the church’s ministry by meeting the needs of others, especially those in leadership positions.

6. Hospitality – Ability to make guest feel comfortable and at home. They have a desire to promote a warm welcome to guests in any setting.

7. Leadership – Ability to lead others toward spiritual growth and communicate effectively to large groups of people.

8. Mercy – Have immediate compassion for those who are suffering physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Attracted to people in distress.

9. Prophecy – Able to proclaim God’s truth without compromise. Need to express themselves verbally, especially about right and wrong.

10. Service – The ability to perform any task with joy that benefits others and meet practical needs. Has a tendency to disregard own comfort and personal health to serve others.

11. Shepherding – Unique ability to take responsibility for long-term spiritual growth of a group of believers. They see guiding, feeding, and protecting a flock of Christ’s followers as their responsibility.

12. Teaching – Ability to explain God’s truth so that others can understand and apply it in their lives. Desire and ability to research and present truth in an organized and systematic fashion.

Now let's share. What are your top three gifts?

Romans 12:3-8

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”