Spiritual Gifts. How to know and embrace yours.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts. We all have something we are good at, right? To be truthful, it’s not always that easy to figure out right away what we are good at. There are so many different things out there that one can dream about and chase after, and yet, it can be terrifying when our dreams do become a reality.

Covenant Eyes ad

It can be a daunting task to search for those spiritual gifts and talents that we are all meant to have. The reality is, though, that we all have spiritual giftings and talents that will eventually define who we will become one day.

While we may not know what they are at this time, they are there for us to take hold of when the opportunity comes to us. 1st Peter 4:10 NLT states it like this, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

What are my spiritual gifts?

The question remains then, How do we know what our spiritual giftings are? While it may not always be easy to figure out at first, God will always reveal them to us in time.

Knowing What Your Spiritual Gifts Are.

Honestly, we can’t really tell you what your specific spiritual gifting is, but what we can do is give you a few pointers to help you find out what it is for yourself. To begin with, 1 Peter 4:11 gives us some insight into some of the spiritual gifts and what to do with them if we have them.

It says: “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

This verse probably doesn’t give you the answers you’re looking for, but we present it to you so that you will know that scripture does speak about spiritual gifts and in more than just 1st Peter. Let’s take a deeper look at what this verse could mean.

Have you ever really thought about what you’re good at? I know I struggle with this. Take a few moments to ask yourself that question and then let the answer come to you. It’s going to take some time to work through all the possibilities, but It will help to take a few minutes out of your day to think and pray on this.

Eventually, the answers will come. Think about what you do every day and ask yourself, “what drives the choices that I make?” It can be encouraging others or the idea of helping someone in need. It can even be simply making those around you happy. Once you think about these things you’ve begun the journey, so to speak, to finding your spiritual gifting.

It is also helpful to consider it in another way. There are certain tasks or favours you love doing more than anything else; they ignite a fire from within that just makes you feel great inside.

Every time you are given the opportunity to do these favours, these tasks, you simply jump at them. When you think about your dreams and desires in life, they all are going to have something in common with each other.

Realizing this is the first step to finding your spiritual gifting’s and once you take it there is no telling where it may lead. Now that you have taken the time to think about what your spiritual gifting could be, you may be wondering what the next step is.

You may even be thinking “there is too much going on in my mind to clearly define what my spiritual gifts are.” This is part of the journey and, in time, the clouds will part.

I Have an Idea of What My Spiritual Gifts Are, What’s Next?

What’s important now is that you take some time to pray about these ideas that you’ve been thinking of and to be watchful for more opportunities to identify more clearly what you’re passionate about.

It may help to take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete one of these Spiritual Gifts tests online, Test 1 or Test 2. As long as you answer them honestly either one will give you a fair assessment of what your spiritual giftings are.

After getting your results, you can google your spiritual gifts and find more of the answers you’ve been searching for. Paul reminds us in 2nd Timothy 1:6-7 NLT to “fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” While this passage is meant for Timothy, it can also be for us today.

Bringing honour to God is one of the main reasons we were given spiritual gifts in the first place and we can do this by placing our T.R.U.S.T in knowing that God gave us our gifts to bring honour to Him.

T- Taking time to give our desires to God. Giving our desires to God is not really that easy, but in the end, the reward will be more than you can ever imagine. The identity you find in Christ will be worth it.

R- Reminding ourselves that God does indeed have a plan and a purpose for our lives. Often we forget that God already has something planned for our lives. Knowing and accepting our spiritual gifts is a big part of learning what that plan eventually ends up being.

U- Understand that what you can offer Him is already a part of who you are. God has already given us what we need to accomplish great things as we endeavour to honour Him with our lives. Embracing that promise will help you become who you’re meant to be.

S- Stepping out when the opportunities come for you to use your spiritual gifts. Opportunities are always going to be there for us. All we have to do is look for them and be ready to do whatever it takes, as long as it’s done with godly intentions, to embrace what we’ve been given.

T- Thanking Him for the chance to honour Him through what you’ve been given. Thanking God may not seem very important right now, but spiritual gifts are just that, gifts. As you begin seeing them at work in your life, the praise and thanks will come naturally as you see what God has given you.

Life will present many opportunities for you to trust in God and in the abilities, He’s given you. David Jeremiah puts it like this, “You have inside you the capacity to invest your mental, emotional, and spiritual gifts in a way that glorifies God, impacts the world, and satisfies your own soul…” and John C Maxwell says, “When you find your spiritual gift, God will give you an opportunity to use it.” Our responsibility, our ultimate goal, should be to find our spiritual gifts and then to embrace them wholeheartedly.

Embracing Your Spiritual Gifts Wholeheartedly.

When we know what our spiritual gifts are, there will be times when we will endure suffering. This suffering will come because we are in the center of God’s will for our lives.

The devil loves to mess with us when we are at this place in our lives because he knows we are on the verge of being a part of something that will further God’s kingdom, which in turn will take away from his.

Brother Lawrence reminds us in his book, Practicing the Presence of God, that “we need only recognize [that] God [is] intimately present with us, [and] to address ourselves to Him every moment.” Do not be afraid of embracing the spiritual gifting’s that God has blessed you with, even in the midst of suffering for His name’s sake.

The Bible says, “If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you,” 1 Peter 4:14 NLT. Accept the gifts you have been given and learn how you can use them with confidence.

Use your spiritual gifts in a way that encourages others and be the example that God desires you to be. Don’t take them for granted and spend your whole life wondering what ‘could have been.’

Using your spiritual gifts to their full potential isn’t something you can ascertain in a few weeks, it takes a lifetime of maturing and growing in God. Even then, you’re spiritual gifting’s may expand and change a bit.

That’s the beauty of your faith in God; it’s ever-growing and changing to accomplish great things. As different seasons of your life come to fruition, God will help you become the person you are meant to be at that time in your life.

He will help you see through those cloudy skies in your mind and, in the end, give you a crown of glory. As it says in Scripture, “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you,” 1 Peter 4:19 NLT.

Knowing what your spiritual giftings are is only half the battle, the rest of it is putting them into practice in a way that will fulfill their purpose, bringing honour to God. Go forth into the journey and eventually your spiritual gifts, and their true purpose, will be revealed to you.

By M.J. Elliott
Love the saints ministries

Blessings,
Mind On Jesus