Spiritual Gifts

Kelly and I joined a Sunday School class over a month or so ago at our church, and are loving it! What a blessing to be a part of this great group. Already, I feel more and more connected with this body of believers as we meet each week, and I cannot wait to really get to know them. What a blessing.

Currently the topic of discussion is very interesting. We're touching base on Spiritual Gifts. Now, I've done studies on spiritual gifts before, and have even taken spiritual gifts test. However, it's been awhile, and usually the study starts with "what are spiritual gifts?", then dives into "what are the possible spiritual gifts?", then we take a test and see what ours are... the end.

This time our Sunday School leader is taking a fresh approach for me. We started with writing down all the things we like/love on a piece of paper. At first this was a difficult task. It's kind of like asking the vast question, "tell me about yourself". Where do you begin? We wrote down anything, from sports, to reading, to hobbies, to people, we wrote it all down, who/what do you love? After writing those things, we then focused on this verse:

1 Peter 4:10-12
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Using this verse as reference, Jay - our Sunday School leader - pointed out three things we should be doing with our gifts. 1. The fundamental purpose of our gift is to glorify God. 2. God has given us these gifts to serve each other. 3. Gifts promote unity not division in the church.

Our next assignment is where I arrived today, taking a spiritual gifts test.

These are my results. My top three spiritual gifts according to the test:

Hospitality (Acts 16:14-15). This website defines hospitality: This gift is the special ability that enables the Christian to provide open arms, an open house and warm welcome for those in need of friendship, a warm welcome, food or lodging.

Servant/Helps (Acts 6:2-4). This website defines servant/helps: This gift empowers certain Christians to willingly bear the burdens of others and help them in such a way that they can do their tasks more effectively. Like witnessing, this should be a calling for all Christians, but there are some who have a special desire to find ways to help or serve, and get great blessing from it. There seems to be a special desire to meet physical needs in the people who have this gift.

Exhortation (Acts 11:23-24). This website defines exhortation: This gift enables certain Christians to stand beside fellow Christians in need and bring comfort, counsel and encouragement.

So here I am, reading the descriptions of my top three gifts according to this test. Hmmmm.... I find myself asking, Is this me? Are those really me? If so, am I using them for God's glory? Does my job encompass me using such things? What does God want from me with these gifts? How does he want me to better utilize these?

I think sometimes it's hard to evaluate ourselves about these gifts, and easier for those around us to say, "yeah, that's you", or "ha! No, you're definitely not that". Ha. Bring on the comments.