"When you became a Christian you were gifted with a spiritual gift or two. If you have been obedient to Christ in those things then you may have gained a spiritual gift or two. As we grow in Christ and use what He has given to us He often adds to our gifts. If we don’t use them they will be taken from us.
Now the question, what are your spiritual gifts? Are you using them? Has He called you to use them? Are you obeying?"
I actually was a little naughty (Who, ME?) and jumped ahead back about week 3 and did this Gifts Survey. It wasn't entirely a surprise because I have done one or two of these before.
BUT, I was happy to see that Faith jumped up much higher on my list because of the lessons I have learned in the last couple of years due to challenges in my life.
AND, Even though Hospitality is listed as one of my gifts, I must confess that I am not always "Hospitable" with a right heart.
Like the Southern Belles who say "Oh, bless yer heart!"
Which, here in the north, means "I can NOT say in mixed company what I REALLY think of what you just said/did!"
Yah, and the part about having visitors over and not caring if my house is "spotless"? I've had to learn that one. I used to get SO uptight if I knew someone was coming over! Gotta clean! Must CLEAN!
Now I'm MUCH more laid-back. Having four kids is a major reality check. My favorite saying hangs in my kitchen -
"Cleaning your house while your kids are growing is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing!"
ANYWAY, if you want to read about my Spiritual Gifts...come on in, sit a spell (just shove that laundry over there to the other end of the couch). Can I getcha some coffee? Oh, and watch out for the Legos in the carpet. They really hurt when you step on them barefoot.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Spiritual Gift Score Spiritual Gift Score
1. Administration - 8..................14. Knowledge - 3
2. Apostle - 2...............................15. Leadership - 4
3. Discerning of Spirits - 6.........16. Mercy - 13
4. Evangelism - 4........................17. Miracles - 1
5. Ekballism - 2...........................18. Missionary -0
6. Exhortation - 5.......................19. Prophecy - 1
7. Faith - 16.........................20. Service - 15
8. Giving - 14.......................21. Shepherd - 4
9. Healing - 3...............................22. Teaching - 2
10. Helps - 14......................23. Tongues - 0
11. Hospitality - 19.............24. Voluntary Poverty - 14
12. Intercession - 8....................25. Wisdom - 6
13. Interpretation of Tongues - 0
Hospitality: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift have an acute awareness of visitors and have a desire to make all people feel welcome. People with this gift enjoy visitors in their home, and are usually not bothered if someone stops by and their home is not spotless. Those with this gift are a key to helping new people become a part of the group.
Scriptures: Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:9-13; 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9.
Faith: "The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift often scare other people with their confidence. People with this gift are often very irritated by criticism, as they consider it to be criticism against God and His will. Probably the biggest danger for those with this gift is that they often try to project their gift onto other people.
Scriptures: Acts 11:22-24; 27:21-25; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11.
Service: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks around the church regardless of how they effect others. Those with this gift enjoy menial tasks and do them cheerfully. Service-oriented people would rather take orders than give them.
Scripture: John 12:26; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:6-7; Galatians 6:2, 9-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14.
**Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion.
Giving: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness."
This gift is a practical gift. While all Christians should practice the discipline of giving through the minimum of 10% (tithe), God gifts certain members of the body to give remarkably greater amounts of their income with liberality and great joy. These people have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving.
Scriptures: Matthew 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44; Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; 9:2-8; Philippians 4:14-19.
**Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of voluntary poverty, as many with the gift of voluntary poverty also have the gift of giving. However, not all with the gift of giving also have the gift of voluntary poverty. See notes on voluntary poverty for more information.
Voluntary Poverty: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with the spiritual gift of voluntary poverty will often choose to live among people who are considered poverty-stricken in a given area, and live at their level, although they have the means to live at a higher standard. Th primary motivation for this choice is to minister more effectively to the people through identification.
Scriptures: Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-27; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:9.
**Note: This gift is often associated with the gift of giving, however, notice that the motivation for this gift is for effective ministry through identification with a group of less-fortunate people, where those with the gift if giving are motivated by what their money can do towards God’s work.
Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts.
This gift is a practical gift. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. People with this gift are often not looking for recognition for the work they do.
Scriptures: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:16-18.
**See Note under Service.
Mercy: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer from distressing physical, mental, or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering."
This gift is a practical gift. Those with this gift find themselves visiting and assisting those in need, and often feel the pain of the person they are helping within themself. People with this gift find it extremely difficult not to help those who seem less fortunate than themself. Those with this gift generally enjoy helping those with physical or mental problems and do well in ministries involving visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and shut-ins.
Scriptures: Matthew 20:29-34; 25:24-40; Mark 9:41; Luke 10:33-35; Acts 11:28-30; 16:33-34; Romans 12:8; Jude 22-23.
** See Note under Service.
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