How to Identify Your Spiritual Gift

LESSON 12

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

Friends, I want to thank the Lord so much for how far He has brought us. This study will be the last in our series on The Gifts of the Spirit. In this last study, we will consider the topic: How to Identify Your Spiritual Gift. There are several spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon members of the church. These gifts include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, working of miracles, prophecy, teaching, discerning of spirits, helps, administrations, apostleship, pastoring, ministering, evangelising, exhortation, giving, ruling, showing mercy, divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues etcetera (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11).

These gifts of the Spirit are different from mere exercise of talents. For instance, someone who utilises his or her good voice to sing worldly music exercises mere talent but not the gift of the Spirit. It is not for nothing that the various spiritual gifts are referred to as the gifts of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that imparts the gifts. The gifts of the Spirit are used for the edification of the church, and for the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the world. It is important for us to note that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to people who are in the body of Christ. Such people have accepted Christ as their Saviour and Lord. They have sealed this decision with a public declaration of baptism. As new converts go through the watery grave of baptism, they also receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:3-5; Romans 6:1-4). There are two things that the Holy Spirit does for new converts in Christ:

A) The Holy Spirit helps new converts to develop the fruit of the Spirit as well as the gifts of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit refer to various Christian virtues that the Holy Spirit empowers the new believer to demonstrate in his or her life. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians provides a list of the fruit of the Spirit as follows: "5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

(Galatians 5:22-23) B) Besides the fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit also endows each believer in Christ with the gifts of the Spirit. From 1 Corinthians 12, we read about this important point: "12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

(1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 11, 13) The apostle Paul reiterates this point in the following manner: "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10, NKJV). So you see friends, every child of God is bestowed with a spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit. When we come to the Lord, it behooves on us to discover these gifts and utilise them to the glory of God. At this point in our study, someone is likely to come up with the following question: "I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and been baptised. How do I identify my spiritual gift?" Beloved, if you identify with this question, then the following guidelines below can help you to identify your particular spiritual gifts:

1) Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13). If the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, He will lead you to discover your spiritual gifts. Pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit will show you your particular spiritual gifts.

2) Do you possess some extraordinary talent or knowledge you have acquired in school or experience at work that can be of help in your church? Pray and ask God about how you can use these tools for the benefit of the body of Christ.

3) Get actively involved in the programmes of your local church. This will open the doors for you to serve in various ministry areas, and help you to discern which areas God is calling you to concentrate more time and effort.

4) As you participate in the programmes of your local church, pay close attention to the comments of church members. Some are likely to commend you on particular roles that you have played. For instance, someone may say: "I really loved your teaching. Keep it up". Another person may say: "From how I see you, I think you should become a pastor. Why don't you go for the required pastoral training?" Another person may say: "I didn't know you could sing so well. God richly bless you". Friends, these and similar other comments from local church members help us to be sure about our unique spiritual gifts.

5) If you don't receive comments from people as you work in the church, that does not mean you do not possess some spiritual gifts. In such a circumstance, you can ask an elder or leader you look up to in the church about your unique spiritual gifts. Such a person may offer you some good counsel that will be of great help in discovering your spiritual gifts.

6) The church and the community in which we live usually call out for volunteers to carry out various services for the betterment of the society. Once in a while, you can volunteer to do something out of the ordinary. The Lord may use this experience of service to teach you exactly what He wants you to do.

Beloved, once you identify your particular spiritual gifts, you should not only work within the limits of these spiritual gifts in the church. As you accept other responsibilities, the Holy Spirit will add more gifts unto you so you become a channel of grace through which others can receive in a manifold way the blessings of Jehovah. In fact, as we utilise our spiritual gifts in the church, the Lord blesses us with more gifts so His work can be carried forward quickly to the ends of the world.

It is important to point out at this stage that when we come to know our spiritual gifts, we must humbly use them to the glory of God. The gifts are for the edification of the entire church, and not for us to raise ourselves in spiritual pride. We must be careful not to be proud as we use our spiritual gifts else God will abase us. Moreover, we must never neglect to exercise the gifts that God has bestowed on us. If we neglect to use them, God will take them away from us, and give such gifts to other people. The story that was told by Christ in relation to the distribution of talents to various people in Matthew 25:14-30 is a very good illustration of this point.

Even though the gifts of the Spirit are given for the edification of the entire church (see Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 14:12), the Bible also makes it clear that the gifts are bestowed for beneficiaries to profit withal (1 Corinthians 12:7). What this means is that when we humbly utilise our spiritual gifts in the church for the benefit of others, we ourselves are also blessed as the ministration we provide draw us closer to Christ, and makes us certain of our spiritual standing with God. If you have been sitting on the fence in your church, the Spirit of God is appealing to you today to rise up, and get involved in the various programmes of the church.

God has created each one of us in a unique way with unique gifts that can open the doors of grace for many people who are yet to have an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. When we neglect to exercise our spiritual gifts, we become unfaithful stewards of such gifts (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-2), and actually rob ourselves, and the entire human race of the enormous blessings that God kept with us through the impartation of His spiritual gifts. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to this point: "To everyone work has been allotted, and no one can be a substitute for another. Each one has a mission of wonderful importance, which he cannot neglect or ignore, as the fulfilment of it involves the weal of some soul, and the neglect of it the woe of one for whom Christ died." -- (ChS 10.4) Friends, as we have noted in this study, there are several spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon members of the body of Christ. Now, based upon your prayer, particular talents, and the commendation of people, which spiritual gifts do you think God is calling you to exercise in your church? It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will enable you to identify the gifts He has bestowed upon you, and give you the strength to humbly utilise them for the edification of all of God's people.

Exhortation: The following words of Paul to his son Timothy remain good counsel to all of God's people in regard to the exercise of spiritual gifts: "4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

(1 Timothy 4:14-16) NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, all Scriptural References are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

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