Spiritual Gifts - Part 2
I don’t have a very large wardrobe. I have a certain number of clothes that I like and feel comfortable in and that’s what I tend to wear. Sometimes my wife will buy me a shirt as a Christmas or birthday present. When I wear it, she notices and comments on it. It makes her happy that I value and use the gift that she picked out especially for me.
God provides spiritual gifts to His people. The gifts He has given to you are ones that He picked out especially for you. We honor and please God when we use our gifts productively.
How do you determine what spiritual gifts you may have? You should
pray about it; God wants you to use your gifts so you should expect Him to
answer your prayer. See if He shows you a need in your local church or community
or otherwise puts something on your heart. Other Christians may help you to
discern your spiritual gifts. They may see something in you that you may not
have fully appreciated yourself. You can go online and find dozens of tests you
can take to “determine your spiritual gifts”.
I have no problem with someone doing that although I think it’s likely
that the answers you get will confirm what you already know.
Look for ways that you can begin to try out your gifts. I think,
for the most part, that the exercise of your spiritual gifts should be
something that brings you joy and a sense of purpose. This isn’t always the case, e.g. there were reluctant
prophets in the Old Testament, but if you think God has given you the gift of
teaching but you hate doing it, it’s probably a good idea to reassess your
situation. Finally, see whether there are any results from your ministry after
awhile. Continue to let God speak to you along the way.
For those of you who would like some additional information, the websites
listed below are a good place to start.
http://synodresourcecenter.org/stew/personal_stewardship/spiritual_gifts/0002/spiritual_gifts.html
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