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Oct
9
Written by:
Inside Out
10/9/2009 11:16 PM
You've likely heard of spiritual gifts before. Perhaps you've taken a spiritual gift inventory before, where you rate yourself on how you respond in a bunch of different scenarios, and then you are given an assessment of what are likely your spiritual gifts. Or maybe the subject of spiritual gifts seems a little mysterious to you. What are spiritual gifts, anyway? Basically, spiritual gifts are special abilities we receive from God's Spirit which helps us to do something to help others that we are ordinarily incapable of doing on our own.
Our spiritual gifting is a very inside-out concept. It is something that God does on our inside so that we can make a difference through our outward living. Two scriptures come to mind:
1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”
It's clear that God doesn't give us spiritual gifts for our own benefit. He gives them to us so we can make a difference in someone else's life. But in order to use our gifts, it's helpful for us to know what our gifts are. You see, it is God who chooses which gifts each Christian is to receive. 1 Corinthians 12:11 is clear on this: “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
How do you discover your spiritual gifts? There aren't any formulas. What do you enjoy doing to help others? In what ways have you served others (either in the church or outside of the church) that has energized you? Read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, which list some gifts of the Spirit. Do any of those seem to fit you? Consider taking a spiritual gift inventory, which can be a helpful tool. If you'd like, we take one in the Discovering Your PLACE class, which will next be offered on three consecutive Sunday mornings, beginning on October 18th, from 10 to 11 at Labay. Contact the church office if you'd like to attend.
Pray, explore, and try - and God will lead you in the way.
Greg
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