"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
Spiritual gifts are gifts from the Holy Spirit, but they are not the Fruit of the Spirit. If you want to read more on the Fruit of the Spirit, visit October-December 2012 on this blog and read Galatians 5:22-23. I just wanted to mention that in case there is any confusion. They are different, but they work together!
A few other things to remember about Spiritual Gifts (directly from the study guide):
*They are Biblical
*Given to everyone
*Essential to discipleship
*You cannot choose or trade the gifts you receive
*Exciting to discover
*Not about you
*They bring unity to the body of Christ, but not uniformity
Do you know what your Spiritual Gifts are? Are you wondering how you can find out what they are? In our study we took a "Spiritual Gifts Assessment", a series of questions that we answered on a scale of 0-4, '0' being "rarely true" and '4' being "consistently true" about ourselves. The numbers are tallied, added together in a specific way (with a final number from 1-12) and charted on a bar graph.
There are many assessments out there, but if you'd like to take this one visit http://www.womenoftheelca.org/filebin/pdf/resources/SpiritualGifts.pdf for a free copy.
Some things to keep in mind about Spiritual Gifts:
*One is not better than any other
*Many people can have the same Spiritual Gift, but it will look different for each person
*Spiritual Gifts are validated by others
*They are confirmed through prayer
Once you know what your Spiritual Gift is or have a picture of your Spiritual Gift cluster (a main gift surrounded & supported by other gifts) what will you to do with them?!
Hide them under a bush?
OH NO!
Jesus says to his disciples, and us, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20). That doesn't mean that teaching or preaching is more important, it means that whatever our gifts are, we are to use them to spread the Gospel.
So what might that look like? Well, you can be sure that it looks as unique as every person's fingerprint. Here's a for instance: if someone's gift is music they might do some of the obvious things like sing or play an instrument; but they might also be gifted in teaching which may lead them to volunteer to lead a Children's choir. Another person who is gifted in vocal music, hospitality, & evangelism might organize off site singing as an outreach. Those gifted in hospitality, mercy, or giving will probably find themselves naturally reaching out to others, organizing groups to help others, and always finding a way to give to those in need!
The assessment we took identified 20 Spiritual Gifts, though there is no official number. This assessment also utilizes Spiritual Gift Clusters, which puts your highest scored gift in the center, surrounded by gifts for which you rated '7' or above. Every assessment has it's scoring and grouping, but your gifts are your gifts. That shouldn't change no matter which assessment you use. However, if you took the assessment at different seasons in your life, you may see your gifts rating slightly higher or lower at different times in you life and certainly would discover different ways in which to use them.
I like to think of the assessment as a frame work on which to build a solid ministry, within the church and personally. While it points out those things in which we are gifted, it also helps us to see what areas where we are not so gifted, saving us from anxiety, frustration and failure. It's important to continue with follow up steps, including exploring your passion(s) and assessing where is the greatest need. Questions to ask are: "Do I have a gift that would fulfill a need in the congregation or the community? Is there a need that is not being met?" and "What am I passionate about?"
Exploring where the greatest needs are and our own personal passions in relation to our gifts is where the rubber really meets the road! It's one thing to discover Spiritual Gifts, but it's what we do with all this information that will produce spiritual growth, both within ourselves and within the body of Christ.
For example, I'm a passionate 'cheerleader'. Not the kind with pom-poms (ok, sometimes I have pom-poms), but I am that person who loves to see people succeed. Supporting & encouraging, in my own way, those who are following their call, their dream, or taking on a challenge. "You can do it!" & "Woo-Hoo!" are two of my favorite phrases! It's called "Exhortation" on the list of Spiritual Gifts. It showed up as a 7 on the assessment, but my passion for it would put it ahead of other gifts for which I scored higher. On the flip side, knowing our Spiritual Gifts can help us focus our energies where they will be most productive for everyone. Take me, for instance, if there was a need to help with VBS, many of my gifts would fit that ministry, my season of life adds experience, and I enjoy helping with young children. However, I scored VERY low in the Gift areas of Artistry and Skilled Craft, so it would not be a good fit to put me in charge of crafts or building something! I would be filled with anxiety, the craft would be pretty lame and it wouldn't be much fun for anyone. It would be best for the ministry to seek out someone who's Gifts & Passions make them especially qualified for that area of VBS!
It's not all about the numbers! It's discovering things about ourselves, that which God already knows. He created us, He equipped, He calls us to be a part of Him; to live in community, loving & supporting each other and sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus. He leads us to use our gifts, and trust me, sometimes that call can be uncomfortable. Knowing our gifts does not mean that God will allow us to sit back and only do those things with which we are agreeable. Being gifted in something doesn't mean it's easy or that we won't be pushed in an unfamiliar direction, just ask Jeremiah and Jonah!
So, when you feel like your gifts are taking you out of your safe-zone, take comfort in the words that God says to Jeremiah, for he says them to us too, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world." "...you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!" (Jeremiah 1:5-8).
What a blessing to be loved by God, to be lead by God, and to be equipped by God to do His work.
Your Partner In Ministry,
Shelly Housel
"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24
No comments:
Post a Comment