With which Gifts have you been truly blessed?
Discovering the answer to that question requires the following:
- Prayer: Spiritual Gifts flow from the love we receive from the Father. He is a Father who wants to bestow great gifts on us. These gifts are bestowed on us at baptism, but they are not our own. As we grow in union with the Father, we might find a gift is given and another is taken away. At the heart of prayer is letting God love you as Father and responding to His will. The more we seek to know Him the more we will live out of his love.
- Study: Become familiar with the scripture references, definitions, and how each Gift functions within the Body of Christ. This will provide you with a solid foundation from which to further evaluate your Gifts.
- Self-Examination: Spiritual gifts are given for us to glorify God both in gratitude as we experience the profound meaning they bring to our own life and the building up of the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are super-natural. We may have natural gifts and abilities that can grow with grace. We may also be gifted with a Spiritual Gift that has no explanation. We receive the gifts we need, and these are not always what we might expect. Part of growing in relationship with God the Father, is coming to see ourselves through His eyes, not ours. Reflect on your experiences in life during prayer to see where others have noticed and commented on your sharing of God’s love and grace. You may expect to feel fulfilled through the use of your Gifts thus resulting in a peace and confidence that is not given by worldly success. Explore your feelings about each of the Spiritual Gifts in your cluster.
- Listen For Affirmation: As you begin to identify, become aware of, and discern your Spiritual Gifts, listen for affirmation from other Christians. They will recognize and confirm your Spiritual Gifts, through genuine expressions of acknowledgement and gratitude for your collaboration with the grace of God.
- Putting Your Gifts To Use: All Christians are to work together, supporting one another. However, our Gifts make us better prepared and equipped to perform in some areas of ministry over others. Treat all the areas of your life as they are gift from God. Pray to be humble and willingly to collaborate in the ways He is calling you. It may be legitimate to purse an activity that you are not gifted at but one should not sacrifice a gift for the service of a passion. You can receive confirmation when putting prospective Gifts to work bears abundant fruit (cf Mt. 7:20).