Fallen and Flawed

The trick to finding out your spiritual gifts is not defining them and then doing them…but simply getting on your knees and begging the Spirit to dominate, direct and control you…

Would you please quit grounding me in the gospel and let me run off on unsatisfying esoteric tangents that miss the point completely!

Thanks for the good word brother.

I was about to say I was sorry…but you know what? I’m not.

Are you trying to tell me there’s hope for me yet, even though the spiritual gifts test said I scored a big fat zero in the mercy category?

I’m still trying to figure out what are my spiritual gifts, and what are simply innate talents God gave me at birth. Most of my talents lie in the creative arts, and I’ve had an absolute blast applying them to charitable works (like crocheting baby items and toys for Samaritan’s Purse,) but they were there before I even confessed my sins to Christ.

I definitely have to say though, that Service definitely ranks high. I’m not good at Evangelism, but Exhortation comes naturally. I’d flounder as a street preacher but I thrive in the Youth Group. And while I didn’t have much Mercy when He got me, in the last couple of years He’s done one heck of a job at increasing it in my heart!

Spiritual gift test, are you joking or being serious Daniel? Sounds like a personality test.

How do you test faith, wisdom etc? And mercy Well, apart from the game of pain, where the loser cries ‘Mercy!’ to stop the agony!

Though we are told to desire the higher gifts, isn’t the focus on service Jesus Christ and working at building up the body in service. Not so much, what can I do well, but what needs to be done – trusting that the Spirit will enable us or someone else to do that work.

If I thought I didn’t have the gift of helping someone, would I say to someone “sorry mate, I don’t have the gift of helping. You could ask Janice or Robert… oh… but they’re on holidays at the moment…”

God can give us gifts at any time as he sees fit.

Oh and a question for anyone who knows Greek, I’ve been told it’s just ‘gift’, not necessarily ’spiritual gift’. Is that true?

Sam,
Yes, I took one such test online. It tested me for all sorts of wild things that I am confident are not quantitatively or qualitatively gauged by a test.
So yes, joking…but Demian didn’t laugh. So never mind

I’ve done some spiritual gifts test. It helped a little, but you just can’t take those things as fact. Demian, your advice is good. I realized that one of my gifts was to preach/teach because I felt close to God when that happened, and time just flew by. I wasn’t looking for it, I just realized that when in these Spirit-led moments I lost track of time.

That’s how I knew.

And oh, that also happens with leading worship and playing the bass guitar.

Daniel: I did laugh. Must not have been loud enough!

Here’s something else to think about: How did people 900 years ago…1900 years ago “figure out” there spiritual gifts? That’s why the point is not that we figure out our gifts, but that we simply allow God to dominate our lives.

Thank for the reminder, y’all…I’ve been so busy worrying about my gifts, I’ve overlooked the Giver too often.

I’m still trying to figure out what are my spiritual gifts, and what are simply innate talents God gave me at birth.

I’m going to mess this quote up but I heard it explained as such the other day in regards to CS Lewis. Pre-Holy Spirit he was a good thinker and writer, after conversion the Holy Spirit ignited those natural bents and abilities and made them supernaturally useful for the kingdom.

Demian, a result of the new birth in Christ is a changed life. As you so correctly point out, the Holy Spirit takes residence in us and as a result – things begin to change.

As we walk in the Spirit, the evidence of this change is manifest in every aspect of our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is an example.

As for the Spirit’s gifting in our lives, we need to understand that these gifts are not given us for our own good, though admittedly there is satisfaction from being used of the Spirit. Demian, you refer to the mutual ministry that occurs through exercising of spiritual gifts. This is the primary reason God gives us gifts – so that we are able to minister to other members of the local church. It’s how God ministers to us and builds his church.

Denita, I wouldn’t be too concerned about differentiating between natural talents and spiritual gifts. As we walk in the Spirit, He “employs” our natural talents by empowering them. So, for example in your case, your artistic talents become “service”, and your writing skills become “exhortation”. The difference is the supernatural empowerment and the outworking of this as you serve other in the church.

Demian, a result of the new birth in Christ is a changed life.
As you so correctly point out, the Holy Spirit takes residence in us and as a result – things begin to change. As we walk in the Spirit, the evidence of this change is manifest in every aspect of our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is an example.

As for the Spirit’s gifting in our lives, we need to understand that these gifts are not given us for our own good, though admittedly there is satisfaction from being used of the Spirit. Demian, you refer to the mutual ministry that occurs through exercising of spiritual gifts. This is the primary reason God gives us gifts – so that we are able to minister to other members of the local church. It’s how God ministers to us and builds his church.

Denita, I wouldn’t be too concerned about differentiating between natural talents and spiritual gifts. As we walk in the Spirit, He “employs” our natural talents by empowering them. So, for example in your case, your artistic talents become “service”, and your writing skills become “exhortation”. The difference is the supernatural empowerment and the outworking of this as you serve other in the church.

Demian, a result of the new birth in Christ is a changed life.

As you so correctly point out, the Holy Spirit takes residence in us and as a result – things begin to change. As we walk in the Spirit, the evidence of this change is manifest in every aspect of our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is an example.

As for the Spirit’s gifting in our lives, we need to understand that these gifts are not given us for our own good, though admittedly there is satisfaction from being used of the Spirit. Demian, you refer to the mutual ministry that occurs through exercising of spiritual gifts. This is the primary reason God gives us gifts – so that we are able to minister to other members of the local church. It’s how God ministers to us and builds his church.

Denita, I wouldn’t be too concerned about differentiating between natural talents and spiritual gifts. As we walk in the Spirit, He “employs” our natural talents by empowering them. So, for example in your case, your artistic talents become “service”, and your writing skills become “exhortation”. The difference is the supernatural empowerment and the outworking of this as you serve other in the church.

Don B.: Thanks! and Thanks! and Thanks!

It’s been a real boost to use these talents in a Christ-centered way, and praise the Creator not just with my voice but with my hands. Sometimes it’s like every stitch made is a quiet prayer of thanksgiving. Keeping that in mind urges me not just to grab up my yarn and make something special, and not merely to settle with “good enough” but to do it to the very best of the ability God gave me.

Demian
Good understanding of the relationship of gifts and the giver. Follow the giver with all your heart soul mind and strength and you will be using the gifts God has given. In other words, place the focus on action as James states in 2:17 “Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all–it is dead and useless.”
God’s love is active.