Finding My Gifts
Gifts Of The Spirit – Your Way To Get In The Game!
Adapted from material by Nancy Ortberg, C. Peter Wagner and others
Spiritual Gift: a specific ability or skill, given by the Holy Spirit, which enables each believer to contribute to the Body of Christ with pleasure and effectiveness.
If you are a believer, you may have one or more questions circulating in your mind: “What exactly are spiritual gifts?” “Do I have any?” “Which one(s) do I have?” “Why do I need them?”
The following study from Pastor Bryan Asay will help you answer your questions and give you a brief overview of some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible. The list is not intended to be exhaustive, but it will help you understand that 1) every Christian has at least one gift, 2) each gift is given only from God (they are not natural talents), 3) many Christians have more than one gift, and 4) not all believers have
the same gifts.
How Do You Get Your Gift(s)?
- Heb 2:3(b)-4 — distributed according to His will
- Heb 2:4 — a testimony by God to Salvation
What Are The Possibilities?
- Romans 12:4-8,11 — workings/motivations
- 1 Cor 12:4,11 — gifts/charismata
- Eph 4:11 — gifts of service/equipping
- 1 Peter 4:9-11 — others
There are many ways to discuss the gifts. We could go random. We could go as presented in scripture, i.e. Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians and 1 Peter. We could look at categories, i.e. motivations, charismata,
ministry.
This time we will break the gifts into groups based upon where most likely we might see that particular gift in action. We will look at as many as 24 gifts.
Here are the groupings:
- Relationally intensive gifts – 6
- Serving gifts – 4
- Up-front gifts – 6
- Support gifts – 7
Paul wrote these words to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:14): “Do not neglect the gift that was given you. Put it into practice and devote yourself to it!” As we scroll through the gifts rattle around in your brain the question, “Am I neglecting this gift or am I using it, developing it and identifying it in other people? Am I putting it to use?”
There are only two wrong answers:
- The first wrong answer is, “I have all of the gifts.” No! You don’t.
- The second wrong answer is, “I don’t have any of these gifts.”
The parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25, explains that the extent to which we discover, develop and utilize our spiritual gifts determines the extent to which we are fulfilled in this life.
Why Do We Need Spiritual Gifts?
Four things we should know about discovering our spiritual gifts:
- God has equipped
each of us with unique spiritual gifts. No one was overlooked or deemed unworthy the day
God handed out talents and skills. The Bible tells us that we are to value, love and embrace our areas of giftedness, no matter what they are. - God has uniquely gifted us for the common good of the church. We all need to receive hospitality, be prayed for, shown mercy, and administered to. Yet, it is impossible to meet all of these needs unless everyone is serving the body of Christ the way we each were intended to serve it.
- Discovering our gifts helps us become more Christ-like. When we surrender our gift and
put it into practice, we put ourselves into a place of training and equipping by the Holy Spirit. Often it is when we are using
our gift the most that we will find our weaknesses exposed. - Example: Servants who cannot understand why no one else sees the need.
- Example: Intercessor who is frustrated when no one else seems to feel the urgency of prayer.
- We see the reflection of God in the expression of the Spiritual Gifts. When we see each other’s gifts manifested in their richness, we are, in actuality, seeing a glimpse of who God is. The more we see these manifestations, the more we are in awe of Him, and the more we realize how much He loves us. The use of our gifts, then, becomes our way of responding to this abounding love.
Relationally intensive gifts:
- Encouragement/Exhort – Rom 12:6, Acts 4:32-37, Acts 14:22, I Timothy 4:13, Hebrews 10:24-25
- Evangelism – Eph 4:11, Acts 8:5-6, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 14:21, II Tim 4:5
- Hospitality – 1 Peter 4:9-11, Acts 16:14-15, Rom 12:9-13, Romans 16:23, Heb 13:1-2
- Leadership – Rom 12:6, Acts 15:7-11, I Tim 5:17, Heb 13:17
- Mercy – Acts 9:36 (Tabitha & Dorcus)
- Pastoring/Shepherding – Eph 4:11, John 10:1-18, I Tim 3:1-7, I Peter 5:1-3
Serving Gifts:
- Administration – 1 Cor 12:27, Luke 14:28-30, Acts 6:1-7
- Craftsmanship – Exodus 30:22-25, Exodus 31:3-11, Ex. 35, II Chr 34:9-13, Acts 18:2-3
- Giving – Mark 12:41-44, Romans 12:8, II Cor 8:1-7
- Helps – 1Cor 12:27, Mark 15:40-41, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1-2
- Service – 1 Peter 4:9, Acts 6:1-7, Romans 12:7, Gal 6:2, II Tim 1:16-18, Titus 3:14
Up-front Gifts:
- Apostleship – 1 Cor 12:6,27; Eph 4
- Creative Communication – multiple
- Prophecy – Rom 12:6, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4
- Teaching – Rom 12:6, 1 Cor 12:27, Acts 18:24-28, Acts 20:20-21, I Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11-14
- Tongues – 1 Cor 12:6,27
- Interpretation of Tongues – 1Cor 12
Support Gifts:
- Discernment – 1 Cor 12:6
- Faith – 1 Cor 12:6, Acts 11:22-24, Romans 4:18-21, Hebrews 11
- Intercession – 1Tim 2:1; Col 4:12 – Epaphras
- Word of Knowledge – 1 Cor 12:6, Acts 5:1-11, II Cor 11:6, Col 2:2-3
- Word of Wisdom – 1 Cor 12:6, Acts 6:3,10, I Cor 2:1-13, I Cor 12:8, James 1:5, II Peter 3:15
- Miracles – 1 Cor 12:27
- Healing – Acts 3:1-10, Acts 5:12-16, Acts 9:32-35, Acts 28:7-10, I Cor 12:9,28
Spiritual Gift Descriptions
Relationally Intensive Gifts
| Encouragement/Exhort | The ability to minister words of encouragement, consolation, comfort and motivation from God’s Word to help others complete their tasks and be all that God wants them to be. |
| Evangelism | The ability to share the gospel with unbelivers in such a way that men and woman become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ. Looks for those who do not know Christ before anyone else. |
| Hospitality | The ability to put people at ease in unfamiliar surroundings. Usually associated with meals, lodging, and warm conversation. |
| Leadership | The ability to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate those goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God. Can cast vision, motivate people to action through talking, and bring people in to get things done. Those with the leadership gift are motivated to work themselves out of a job and create other leaders and to help others bring out the best in people. Typically a influential and “big picture” person. |
| Mercy | The ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully-done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate suffering and responsibility. Cheerful and practical with people in need; not always looking for an answer. Moved to action and prayer by compassion; always looking for lonely and forgotten people in need. |
| Pastoring/Shepherding | The ability to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers and nurture and care for them. Committed to seeing people develop and grow in Jesus. Typically gentle, trusted, and relationship-oriented, enjoy having people around them. Great small group leaders. |
Serving Gifts:
| Administration | The ability to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the body of Christ and devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. Can organize, plan, execute, set goals (dates/deadlines), divide, make decisions, manage, coordinate, make order out of chaos. |
| Craftsmanship | The ability to use one’s hands, thoughts and mind to further the Kingdom of God through artistic, creative means. People with this gift may also serve as leaders for others in forming their abilities in this area. The gift may also be used in the areas of maintenance, care and upkeep for the benefit and beautification of God’s Kingdom here on earth. |
| Giving | The ability to contribute material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness. Doesn’t ask question about giving; seeks more to give more. Have great joy in giving and always know just WHAT to give. |
| Helps | The ability to invest the talents one has in the life and ministry of other members of the body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts. Do not seek attention, do not complain, and can identify with a person that needs help. |
| Service | The ability to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results. Identify with the organization that needs help. |
Upfront Gifts:
| Apostleship | The ability to build up other people in the church by starting and overseeing new churches, new ministries, new things. Gifted and passionate about “pioneering” and building and maturing the church. Adaptable to different surroundings, ages, cultures. |
| Creative Communication | The ability to communicate God’s truth through different and extraordiary ways. May include mediums such as dance, art, technology, comedy, drama, etc. |
| Prophecy | The ability to reveal and proclaim God’s truth in a timely manner and for the purpose of strengthening, comforting, and encouraging the church. Something supernaturally revealed through relationship, credibility, gentleness, and sensitivity that moves people to action |
| Teaching | The ability to supernaturally teach people to become more Christlike and communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the body and its members. This teaching will always bring fruit (results) and maturity in people’s lives. |
| Tongues | The ability to speak a supernatural language from God. Used for edification and strengthening of the church and must be accompanied by an interpretation when in public. |
| Interpretation of Tongues | The ability to interpret a supernatural language from God. |
Support Gifts:
| Discernment | The ability to uniquely distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. People with this gift are very perceptive, insightful, and intuitive in the spiritual things, but they must have credibility. |
| Faith | The ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purpose of God, and to propel the body of believers into actively claiming and standing on the promises of the Lord. Speak truth, faith, and life and have an extraordinary ability to overcome obstacles. |
| Intercession | The ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to prayer, to a degree much greater than that which is experienced by most Christians. |
| Word of Knowledge | The ability to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information which is pertinent to the growth and well-being of the body; the divine enabling to bring truth to light, especially Biblical truth. |
| Word of Wisdom | The ability to apply spiritual truth to a specific issue or life situation in an especially relevant fashion, and to make proper choices in difficult situations, based on sufficient information. Sought out by people who need to make decisions. |
| Miracles | The ability to change the order of natural outcomes, violate laws of nature and do “impossible” and “astonishing” things. Always done for the purpose of glorifying and bringing attention to the life and person of Jesus Christ. |
| Healing | The ability to serve as a human intermediary through whom God’s healing power is applied to another person’s physical or emotional need. Often couple with laying on of handing and prayer. |
Free Online Gift Inventories
Pastor Bryan recommends the following free online inventories: