The Animal School & Exploring Spiritual Gifts

 

What are Spiritual Gifts? How do we get them? How should we use them? Why should we use them, and what are some precautions about Spiritual Gifts. 

 

     Spiritual Gifts are given to the saved from the Holy Spirit for building up the body of Christ. They are not given for personal gain, but for ministry in the world. They are different from natural talents which all people have. Sometimes a person’s natural talents and their spiritual gifts align, but not always.

Romans 12:4-6 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

1 Corinthians 12:24-27 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

We each have our part or role to play in the body of Christ, and no one’s gift is more important or placed above another, all are equal!

I found the following story from another source which explains this well:

The Animal School

Once upon a time, right after creation, all the animals formed a school. They established a well-rounded curriculum of swimming, running, climbing, and flying. All the animals were required to take all the courses.

The duck excelled at swimming. In fact, he was better than the instructor! But he only made passing grades in climbing and was very poor in running. He was so slow, he had to stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to become so badly worn that he became only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so no one ever worried about it, except the duck.

The rabbit was top of her class at running. But after a while, she developed a twitch in her leg from all the time she spent in the water trying to improve her swimming.

The squirrel was a peak performer at climbing but was constantly frustrated in flying class. His body became so worn from all the hard landings he did not do too well at climbing and ended up being very poor at running.

The eagle was a continual problem student. She was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist. In climbing class, she would always beat everyone else to the top of the tree. She insisted upon using her own way of getting there.

Each animal has its unique design. When they did what they were designed to do, they excelled. When they tried to operate outside of their area of expertise, they were not nearly as effective.

Can ducks run? Sure, they can! Is that what they do best? No! Given the limited time that each of us has, doesn’t it make sense to serve where we are best equipped?

Ducks can run and run hard. But they are slow and get tired quickly. People in ministry can be like that. Like a duck out of water, we can serve outside our area of giftedness. We can do it, but it is not what we do best. That is why knowing our spiritual gifts and abilities is important. It enables us to do our best with enthusiasm and effectiveness.

Ephesians 2:10 ¹⁰For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul encourages Timothy “to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you.” In other words, know your gifts and abilities and then use them. Using our gifts is part of God’s plan for us. Our gifts are resources and to use them effectively is good stewardship.

Sometimes we are reluctant to know our gifts and abilities, just like Moses. In Exodus 3 & 4 we find Moses trying every excuse he can to avoid doing what he knew God, present before him in the burning bush, was calling him to do. Moses was pulling back from using the gifts God had given him not realizing that God had already given him all he needed. What God really wanted from Moses was obedience. None of us have had God speak to us through burning foliage! But in reading the story of Moses’ encounter with God, we can learn many lessons.  

God did not create junk! He chose us with a pre-determined purpose! He gave us spiritual gifts and abilities to accomplish His purpose.

We are all called to live a Holy Life and to Serve. We will do it best if we use the gifts that He has given to us.

We must answer Gods call to serve. If we do not answer His call, and say, “I’ll do it my way and my way only”, well, it's like saying that you do not respect the One who has saved you.

Choosing to answer His call, or not, will ultimately affect our rewards in Heaven.

To say, “As long as I get there”! (Regarding heaven), is the devil’s deception. (It’s an “I’ve got my fire insurance” only attitude)

Romans 12:6 ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us….

The Spiritual Gifts lists are found in:

·         Romans 12:6-8

·        1 Corinthians 12:8-10

·         1 Corinthians 12:28-30

·         Ephesians 4:11-16

·         1 Peter 4:9-10

·         Exodus 31:1-5

 

The Spiritual Gifts List:

Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Ruling/Leadership, Mercy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Discernment, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Apostles, Prophets, Helps, Administration, Evangelists, Pastor, Hospitality, Craftsmanship

Spiritual Gifts can be broken down into categories:

Support Gifts, Team Gifts, Enabling Gifts, Working Gifts, Signs, Miraculous/Charismatic Gifts.

Spiritual Gift Definitions:

Administration: Ability to Organize.

Craftsmanship: Ability to work creatively with hands.

Discernment: Ability to distinguish between truth and error, good and evil.

Encouragement/Exhortation: Ability to strengthen, comfort, or urge action to those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.

Evangelism: Ability to effectively communicate the gospel to unbelievers so that they accept Christ and grow.

Faith: Ability to act on God’s promises with confidence and unwavering belief in God’s ability to fulfill his purposes.

Giving: Ability to contribute money and resources

Helps/Service: Ability to serve and help others in practical ways.

Hospitality: Ability to care for and encourage people by providing fellowship, food, shelter.

Knowledge: Ability to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which will help Christians grow. God-given ability to be able to answer questions relating to spiritual issues.

Leadership: Ability to cast vision, motivate and direct people to harmoniously accomplish the purposes of God.

Mercy: Ability to help cheerfully and practically those who are suffering or are in need: it is compassion moved to action.

Missionary/Apostle: Ability to start and oversee the development of new churches as a missionary or church planter.

Pastor/Shepherd: Ability to nurture, care for and guide people toward on-going spiritual maturity.

Prayer/Intercession: Ability to consistently pray on behalf of and for others, seeing frequent and specific results.

Prophecy: Ability to declare the Word of God in a timely and relevant manner for understanding, correction, repentance, or edification.

Teaching: Ability to understand, clearly explain and apply the word of God causing greater Christlikeness in the lives of listeners.

Wisdom: Ability to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a specific situation

Not sure of your giftedness? There are many online resources to take a spiritual giftedness test to find out what areas you score the highest in. When discerning your spiritual gifts, take time to pray for the revelations.

After I took the test, I picked the top three that I scored in and worked with those. Mine have changed over the years! So, go back and take it a few times over a period of years.

Administration and Discernment always ranked high for me and sometimes they would flip flop. The last time I took a Spiritual Gift test, Evangelism popped up for the first time ever! I was shocked. Apparently, no one else in the room was shocked at my new revelation. Sometimes, others see in you what you don’t!

Cautions regarding Spiritual Gifts:

1.       Feelings that your gifts are not special

 

It is so easy to look at another’s giftedness and be a bit jealous. Sometimes one gift may seem to be exalted over others, i.e., teaching, preaching, singing, leaving some to view their gift as not as important or as spiritual as another.

“All these [gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:11

“…have gifts differing according to the GRACE that is given to us.” Romans 12:6

They are all important gifts and are given to us as God determines and with GRACE!

2.       Using it for your OWN good to gain praise

 

From “God’s Daily Word Ministries” – Steve Troxel

Ahithophel was a highly regarded advisor to King David, “Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God” 2 Samuel 16:23. But when David’s son, Absalom, rebelled and sought to become the new king, Ahithophel joined with Absalom. Ahithophel had reason to be angry with David; he was the grandfather of Bathsheba and had watched as David violated his granddaughter and then had her husband killed (2 Samuel 11).

In his anger Ahithophel advised Absalom how to defeat David, but God had other plans’ “The Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom” (2Smuel 17:14). When Absalom refused to follow his advice, Ahithophel took the rejection very personally.

2 Samuel 17-23 “When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself.”

Ahithophel had once been close to God and was used for many years to give Godly direction, but at some point, in his ministry Ahithophel began to take ownership. He determined his self-worth based on the results of his ministry and began to use his gifts for his own selfish purpose. When his message was no longer trusted, and his ministry was not going in the direction he desired, his self-worth fell, and he found he had no reason to continue.

God has called each of us to be His messengers and has given us a ministry of sharing the gospel: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthian 5:20). Some are called to preach a message of hope to a large congregation. Others have been called to instruct a small group or encourage just one…but we all have been called!

We are never responsible for the outcome of a ministry, only for the obedience of faithfully delivering His message. God remains in complete control of all results: “My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11). As we walk in obedience, His purpose is accomplished – not ours.

We must never lose sight of the One who called us to serve. Our worth is in being a child of God, not in the praises we receive or in what we can accomplish. We must continue to be obedient messengers who proclaim the Good News, teach the truth, and encourage at every opportunity. And when we become discouraged, let’s check our focus and always remember…this is His message and His ministry.

3. Activating your Gifts

Learning and knowing what your gifts are and activating them are different things.

Spiritual Gifts are for serving others and building up the body of Christ. Therefore, activating Spiritual Gifts requires the ability to love others.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

Let’s be good stewards and use the gifts and abilities He has given us!

From the “Making Wise Choices” Lecture Series

 

Debra Lee, Author & Keynote Speaker

Biz Coach | Life Coach | Blogger

 “It Is What It Is…but it wasn’t a tragedy” & “Making Wise Choices…The Most Important Life Skill To Master”