FIVE STEPS TO DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

WORD OF WISDOM
BUILDING ~ Believers are "God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:9); and heaven is called "a building of God" (2 Corinthians 5:1). Christ is the only foundation of his church (1 Corinthians 3:10-12), of which he also is the builder (Matthew 16:18).

Source: Easton's Bible Dictionary

Source: ChristArt.com

Explore the possibilities. Read through the three key chapters in Holy Scriptures dealing with spiritual gifts. [1 Cor. 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4]. Learn what the gifts are, what characterizes them, and how they function in the Body of Christ, so that you can have something concrete to look for as you move ahead.

Experimenting. Discovering gifts is not necessarily easy. IT requires some trial and error. Error in this case does not denote something wrong, but it implies that a person is learning. The majority of the gifts should be ‘tried on for size.’ Look for ways to help people. Meet needs. Be available for any job around the church you might be asked to do. When you get an assignment, undertake it in prayer. Give each job a fair shake and do not give up easily. Every gift you find you do not have reduces the number of options you need to work with for getting positive direction.

Examine your feelings. Since God has put the Body together, you will feel fulfilled when functioning in the proper area. Thus, if you enjoy your attempts to use a particular gift, that is a good sign that you possess it. If, however you dislike the service activities associated with a certain gift, that is fairly a good sign that you do not have it.

Evaluate your effectiveness. Since spiritual gifts are designed to benefit others, you should see positive results as you use your gift[s]. If you do not see any results when you experiment with a particular gift, you probably do not have that gift. But it could be that you did not give it a fair try, or that it will simply take time for you to learn to use the gift effectively. As you evaluate, pray for the courage to be honest with yourself and with the Lord.

Expect confirmation for the Body. You cannot discover, develop, and use a gift all on your own. Gifts are given to build up other members of the Body. If you have a gift, other Christians will recognize it and confirm it. If you feel that you have a particular gift and no one else agrees with you, then you should take a closer look at yourself and re-evaluate.

God Bless,
rECj/LJG