Let's be honest. The Bible mentions several gifts, but sometimes it may be difficult to discern which gifts you have specifically been given. If you're like me, you want to discover your God-given purpose, and guess what? Discovering your spiritual gifts helps you do just that: fulfill YOUR purpose. TRUTHS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER: 1. You have been given gifts. You have probably been given several gifts! That's so exciting, right?! Remember, gifts are free -- need a reminder? Go read step one in my journey of going back to the basics of receiving gifts here. 2. These gifts are to be used. Sounds redundant -- but can you think of a time in your life where you have been given a gift and it just sits on the shelf? We don't want our God-given gifts to go un-used or under-appreciated.
3. There are positive and negative sides of gifts. I'll call them perks and dark-sides. Perks are benefits; whereas, dark-sides are the negative affect they may have if not used correctly. Interestingly enough, gifts are often more easily recognized by this "dark-side" or negative impact. For example, if you have the gift of faith, you might recognize this gift by it's antithesis of doubt or sometimes being caught up with the details of the Bible. If you have the gift of hospitality, you might recognize it by it's down-side of constant worry or having trouble being present in a situation or event. The gift of intercession might bring out big-time burden bearing.
Remember, Satan is also alive and active and wants to take every good thing and tweak it negatively. It's how he works. Be aware and be vigilant! Identifying the dark-side of these gifts may help illuminate patterns you can eliminate.
HOW DO I USE MY GIFTS?! As you are discovering your gifts, think about how you could use them. In fact, pause right now and ask God to guide you as you read more about His potential gifts. <<good job! He wants us to ask Him for help. He is waiting to reveal truth to you!>>
every good and perfect gift comes down from above - from the Father of Heavenly lights, and He does not change like shifting shadows. | James 1:17
GREAT NEWS: You get the opportunity to use your gift in so many ways! It may look slightly different in the light of each career change or a specific situation -- but your gifts still manifest in a concrete way. Keep this in mind as you are looking for your gifts. You might even discover that as you read about a specific gift, you are able to recognize that in a close friend or spouse. If that's you, perhaps you have the gift of discernment or wisdom! Here are a few ways you can use the gifts that God has given you:
to edify the body of believers
to bring you and others closer to your Creator
to enable you to see others through a specific lens
to bring God glory -- our ultimate goal, right?!
CATEGORIES OF GIFTS: The Bible talks about several gifts, so in my research, I discovered that you can think of the gifts in three categories (or filing cabinets): motivational, ministry & manifestation.
MOTIVATIONAL: GIFTS TO HELP VIEW LIFE & RELATE TO OTHERS These gifts allow people to view others through a specific lens or perspective.
MINISTRY: GIFTS/TOOLS GOD USES TO BUILD UP THE CHURCH These gifts are practical and essential to build up the body of believers.
MANIFESTATION: GIFTS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE HOLY SPIRIT’S PRESENCE & POWER These gifts are manifested for the benefit of others and to bring God glory. They are given by the Holy Spirit and are proof that He is alive inside of you!
MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS:
The Bible describes these types of gifts as gifts that can help us relate to one another. Romans 12: 6-8, reminds us: 'We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.'
THESE GIFTS USUALLY INCLUDE: PROPHESY: Communicating to people or groups God's Word. May include words, phrases, pictures or dreams and usually causes truth to surface. Frequently, these people see patterns and connect the personal to the big picture.
Perks: useful in calling out gifts and strongholds in people or groups; sees patterns and connects them. This person is often brave enough to go the extra step or go to an uncomfortable spot
Dark-side: rejection or fear of rejection; has visions and thinks "I must be crazy"
SERVING/HELPING: goes where needed. Enjoys meeting people's needs - constantly fills in the gaps, like mortar / serving and helping is usually administered through love (administered through LOVE; reference the gift of LOVE as well)
Perks: jack of all trades; possess a little bit of every gift, holds things together
Dark-side: alone, unnoticed, bitter
LOVE: people understand God's love more after being with this person
Perks: undestanding and empathetic
Dark-side: unloved, struggles with seeing God as a Father
TEACHING: instructs others through an ability to make connections. Ability to find the relation in information and translate concepts.
Perks: They are often people who you want to ask them "what do you think about that?". They make good connections and often are perceived as 'connected'. The way they live their lives teaches.
Dark side: rejection, pride, has nothing good to say or an "I could do it better" attitude -Exhortation //administered through encouragement
MERCY: Administers the Lord's forgiveness and grace. Fosters freedom in a community and in an individual's life. Pays the price for others.
Perks: Their "freedom to fail" mentality can often spark creativity.
Dark side: unforgiving, false burden bearing; often tries to carry other people's burdens without giving it to God, shoulder pain. They have trouble forgiving themselves.
ADMINISTRATION: brings organizational and systematic clarity (organizes and administers through the gift of LEADERSHIP; reference the gift of LEADERSHIP as well)
Perks: makes big tasks seem doable
Dark-side: fear due to foreseeing what could happen, burden-bearing
LEADERSHIP: Organizational leaders or managers are usually administrative. These spiritual leaders often have followers and attract other people follow them - almost deemed as "popular".
Perks: They sway thinking and fashion thought; they often give vision and speak truth over one's life.
Dark side: Often struggle with isolation, control, rejection -Giving //administered through the gift of hospitality
EXHORTATION: Spurs the body on and motivates toward a cause (administers through the gift of ENCOURAGEMENT; reference the gift of ENCOURAGEMENT as well).
Perks: encourages but also exhorts (think: encourage reaches one person, exhorts reaches a group); cheerleader of all sorts, all about the vision and mission
Dark-side: bitterness, frustration
ENCOURAGEMENT: strengthens and comforts through words and actions. Usually partnered with or put in a community to bring freedom
Perks: breathes courage into others
Dark-side: co-dependence, unloved; needs to be needed
GIVING: sees everything and understands the unique needs in the body of believers (administers through the gift of HOSPITALITY; reference the gift of HOSPITALITY as well).
Perks: provides resources, even resources of their own
Dark-side: poverty and burn-out
HOSPITALITY/MAN OF PEACE: Leads people to feel comfortable or to be at ease. This gift can be the basis for apostles/evangelists to reach the lost.
Perks: frequently a connector of people and resourceful
Dark-side: responsible for others, hard to present; worried about others
MINISTRY GIFTS: The Bible describes these gifts as practical gifts to be used to help believers. Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us:
'He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.'
THESE GIFTS USUALLY INCLUDE:
APOSTLESHIP: starts new things, including setting up infrastructure so that the new thing can sustain. Prefers start-ups to sustaining systems; sees people's gifts for the purpose of placing them. They are not usually found of institution and are very entrepreneurial.
Perks: Architect personality, fond of good design; usually lays out the plans but doesn't build the building
Dark-side: rejection, performance, fear of failing; starts things but usually cannot finish them; caught up in the production or performance, lonely
PROPHESY: Communicating to people or groups God's Word. May include words, phrases, pictures or dreams and usually causes truth to surface. Frequently, these people see patterns and connect the personal to the big picture.
Perks: useful in calling out gifts and strongholds in people or groups; sees patterns and connects them. This person is often brave enough to go the extra step or go to an uncomfortable spot
Dark-side: rejection or fear of rejection; has visions and thinks "I must be crazy"
EVANGELISM: lowers the barriers in someone's life for them to receive the Gospel. Usually around these people, you share things about yourself or stories with them that you wouldn't naturally feel comfortable sharing. Sometimes, people with these gifts walk people through receiving the Gospel and sometimes they plant seeds of belief.
Perks: when these people find out the details of your life, they bring you Jesus
Dark-side: frustration with unbelievers or other gifts, rejection
PASTORAL/SHEPHERDING: Caring for, protecting, guiding, shepherding a person or group of people. Very relational. People who bring people alongside of them. They have the ability to see intrinsic value in other people. This can look like leadership of a large group or guidance in an individual's life.
Perks: They usually don't go alone in their journey, as they bring someone along with them. They can usually see the end from the beginning or the entire forest instead of just the tree in front of them. They can see the end result before they get there.
Dark side: Bitterness, unforgiving, religion, pride; they are often rule followers.
TEACHING: instructs others through an ability to make connections. Ability to find the relation in information and translate concepts.
Perks: They are often people who you want to ask them "what do you think about that?". They make good connections and often are perceived as 'connected'. The way they live their lives teaches.
Dark side: rejection, pride, has nothing good to say or an "I could do it better" attitude
MANIFESTATION GIFTS: The Bible describes these gifts as a demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power and presence -- proof that HE IS ALIVE inside of you!! I Corinthians 12:7–11 reminds us: 'The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.'
THESE GIFTS USUALLY INCLUDE:
WISDOM: speaks clarity or understanding into a person or community. Application of truth or truth from the Bible in the moment.
Perks: Useful in coming against confusion and double-mindness
Dark side: pride, frustration, confusion in personal life -- meaning, they might not be able to figure out their own lives but they give great wisdom to others; feel frequently unworthy
KNOWLEDGE: gathers information from the Bible and teachings and recall it at times that edifies the body. People want to meet with that person again and again to hear more on a specific topic; constantly pursues knowing things and adds to the body of believers
Perks: useful in adding depth and purpose to movements; collects information
Dark-side: Value books/curriculum over people, gain but don't share, thinks everyone knows this information already/'someone is smarter than me' type of attitude
FAITH: supernatural trust of the Lord. People believe in God more when they are around you and/or believe more deeply that He is good!
Perks: understands God outside of natural order; faith comes natural
Dark-side: doubt, caught up on Bible details, frustrated with questioners
MIRACLES: A show of God in a large way through signs and wonders; clears the path for people to come to God. They can be a storyteller who just spots or calls out what God is doing. Doesn't dismiss as coincidence what is clearly God at work.
Perks: useful in removing doubt; storyteller - tells stories about how God shows up.
Dark-side: unloved, rejection, thinks that his/her story may be made up
HEALING: Brings people closer to wholeness by removing blocks like diseases and lies. Usually administered through prayer and speaking truth.
Perks: useful in healing and keeping the body whole; notices where things might be 'blocked' due to sin or shortcomings; helps to remove lies
Dark-side: feels powerless, isolation, depression, feels un-needed and/or has nothing to contribute
DISCERNMENT: Possess an ability to see clearly good or evil at work and to call it out for a person or group. Knowing what obedience looks like in a situation.
Perks: sees what is at work beneath the surface and doesn't loose sight of the goal
Dark-side: pride, judging; all about helping people but sometimes gets caught as a judge of good and evil
TONGUES: speaks in a language other than the one you are trained in to edify or to give a message to the body in tandem with an interpreter.
Perks: gives messages to the body of believers
Dark-side: Control, "I've got this" attitude
INTERPRETATION: Helps others to understand what is spoken in tongues, dreams or teachings. The main goal of this gift is to translate.
Perks: You might hear people speak one thing and understand immediately what is really meant.
Dark-side: control, feelings of good or not good with words, fear that God will disappoint
PROPHESY: Communicating to people or groups God's Word. May include words, phrases, pictures or dreams and usually causes truth to surface. Frequently, these people see patterns and connect the personal to the big picture.
Perks: useful in calling out gifts and strongholds in people or groups; sees patterns and connects them. This person is often brave enough to go the extra step or go to an uncomfortable spot
Dark-side: rejection or fear of rejection; has visions and thinks "I must be crazy"
All these gifts are binded by prayer -- our way to communicate to our Heavenly Father, so of course -- the gift of intercession needs to be added here. INTERCESSION: Prays on behalf of someone; to pray for someone in a specific way that God has revealed to you that they need prayer.
Perks: empathetic and understands people's pain but then passes it off to the Lord; has a gut instinct of what to pray for but knows God has the answers so gives it to God
Dark-side: Big time burden bearing; possible back and neck pain, worries about things
Father, thank you for the gifts You so readily give. May we use them to glorify You and each person we encounter. Reveal how You have designed us so that we may fulfill Your purposes. How great and mighty You are! We love you and trust You, Amen.
**Please know that the above information was taught through an extended class via my church a few years back. It was a class I attended and took copious amount of notes, as I knew everything that was presented was vital for my spiritual walk. I'm creating this blog post to help me remember, as well as design a digital copy for when I can't read my worn-out and carefully read-over notes. I hope this helps your journey and spurs you to start your own research. There are several resources on spiritual gifts online, and I hope this only helps springboard your journey!
