Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts

The 5 A’s

1. Acquire all data about spiritual gifts.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit God to reveal your spiritual gifts.

3. Analyse/ask yourself the questions:
   • What are the things you enjoy doing most?
   • What are things in the past you did that got results?
   • What type of personality do you have?
   • What are passionate about that you can’t stop talking about it?

4. Avail yourself to ministry opportunities.
5. Affirmation and acknowledgement by others is a good sign that you have those gifts. Other signs include the aftermath, accompanied blessings, and aspiration to go on (joy, happiness, and feel good factor) when you use those gifts.    

Guidelines for the Use of Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts ought to bring unity, not division, and build up, not tear down, the church. They are to be accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit. They are to glorify God and be ruled by love.

Abuses of the Use of Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are abused when they are used to confusing ends and means, when their use glorifies the gift rather than the Giver of the gift, when everyone is required to possess the same gift, and when there is a coveting of another’s gifts. When one disdains another’s gifts and causes disorder, when one makes a gift a badge of spirituality and denies or neglects his gifts, then the spiritual gifts are misused.

7 Things to Remember about Spiritual Gifts

1. Spiritual gifts are given to all believers. No exception. Hence, there is no excuse for lack of involvement in service/ministry.

2. Gifting and not gender should determine and define one’s ministry. Paul’s theology of spiritual gifts plays a crucial role in determining the call and service of each believer.^[1] According to Pauline practice and Greek grammar, outside of First Timothy, there is no compelling reason to suggest that women would be excluded from being pastors, elders, or teachers in a house church that is modelled on the household, since Paul has honoured them for fulfilling other roles. Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts indicates that the Spirit distributes the spiritual gifts of pastor and teacher as he wills, so that only the Spirit is qualified to restrict any group from serving those functions.^[2]

3. All spiritual gifts draw from the same source. All spiritual gifts are called charismatic gifts because they are given to us by the grace of God.

4. Spiritual gifts are not signs of godliness or maturity but the fruit of the Spirit is.

5. Each believer has gifts that others don’t have. Thus, there is no room for jealousy since they are determined by God.

6. Christ not only gives gifts but imparts grace to enable us to exercise those gifts.

7. Spiritual gifts are given to us for the body and not to exalt ourselves.

God made the sun—it gives

God made the moon—it gives

God made the stars—they give

God made the air—it gives

God made the clouds—they give

God made the earth—it gives

God made the sea—it gives

God made the trees—they give

God made the flowers—they give

God made the fowls—they give

God made the beasts—they give

God made humans—they . . . ?

The discovery of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ will yield immeasurable dividends. It will result in the expansion of the Church internally, extension of the Church externally, enlargement of our faith, execution of God’s will, enhancement of our self-esteem, and encouragement to the laity in service.

Nothing will give you greater joy than to know your spiritual gifts and use them to build the body and bless others (e.g., gift of encouragement). As we continue in our ministry, let the words of A. T. Pierson keep on ringing in our ears.

Everyone has some gifts, therefore all should be encouraged. No one has all the gifts, therefore all should be humbled. All the gifts are for one Body, therefore all should be harmonious. All the gifts are needful, therefore all should be faithful.^[3]

Until and unless we see the significant relevance of spiritual gifts in relationship to the body of Christ, spiritual gifts are merely a theme for books, a word to be savoured, an idea to be discovered, a concept to be explained and not a reality to be experienced. Until that happens, nothing else will happen.

When World War II ended in Europe, the saddest sight on the streets of London was that of little orphaned children, starving and walking along the streets to find food. Early one chilly morning, a soldier in his jeep on his way back to the barracks in London saw a little boy staring at a pastry shop. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching the baker making the hot and tasty bread.

The soldier stopped his jeep, went into the shop, got out and walked quietly over to where the little fellow was standing. He could see the boy salivating and releasing a slight groan as he watched the baker take out the freshly baked bread. The soldier’s heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him. “Son, would you like some of those?” The boy was surprised. “Oh yeah, I would!”

The soldier stepped inside the shop and bought a dozen, put them in a bag, and walked back to where the lad was standing in the foggy cold of the London morning. He smiled, held the bag, and said simply, “Here you are.”

As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug on his coat. He looked back and heard the little child ask quietly, “Mister, are you God?” You and I are never more like God than when we learn to serve others with our spiritual gifts and do good works.