What would be your response if you carefully selected a gift and presented it to someone dear only to have him or her leave it wrapped? A myriad of emotions undoubtedly flood your mind as you consider such an ungrateful response on the part of the recipient. Putting the question in the context of Spiritual Gifts is there a possibility that you might be neglecting to unwrap the ones our Lord graciously custom selected for you? Let’s identify some principles that will help in identifying and cherishing your Spiritual Gifts to glorify their Giver, your heavenly Father:
Principle One— gift is derived from the Greek word charisma which emphasizes the freeness of the gift. Your Spiritual Gifts cannot be earned, pursued, or worked for; all gifts are graciously given by your heavenly Father (1 Corinthians 12:7).
Principle Two—a right understanding of your Spiritual Gifts should evoke a spirit of humility within you (Romans 12:3).
Principle Three —there is a diversity of unique giftedness that is distributed to enhance the effectiveness of the entire Body of believers. God purposely planned these diverse capabilities; He never intended for us to all be the same. In fact, to force uniformity is to run the risk of deformity (Romans 12:4-5).
Principle Four —your Spiritual Gifts were graciously given to you; you do not own them but are simply God’s steward of them (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 11, 18).
Principle Five— you are to align the use of your gifts with your season of life, keeping your biblical priorities in the correct order (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22).
Principle Six —your Spiritual Gifts are to be used for the good of the entire Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7).
Principle Seven — Spiritual Gifts were give to you for the spiritual edification, nurturing, and development of the Body. They are to equip others so that they are challenged to move from sin to obedience (Ephesians 4:7-16).
Principle Eight—Spiritual Gifts are to be used for the benefit of those in the Body, not simply for your exhalation (1 Peter 4:7-11).
Principle Nine —your heavenly Father will require an accounting of how you used your gifts to further His Kingdom (Matthew 25:14-30).
Principle Ten— there in no excuse for ignorance in the realm of Spiritual Gifts; you are to be correctly informed about them (1 Corinthians 12:1).
Since the Scriptures challenge us to be correctly informed about the Spiritual Gifts, let’s briefly define several of them:
Prophecy ministers to others by edifying (building up), exhorting (encouraging) and comforting others in the body of Christ (Romans 12:6; 1Corinthians 14:1-3; Ephesians 4:11).
Teaching communicates the Word of God so that others can clearly understand its meaning (Romans 2:17-24; 12:7; Colossians 1:28; 1 Timothy 1:3-7, 4:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; James 3:1).
Discernment discriminates between truth and error to stimulate others to function in truth that is motivated by love and provides a foundation for correction in righteousness (Acts 13:6 – 12; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Timothy 3:16).
Wisdom provides practical insight into the ways and will of God (1 Samuel 25; Acts 15
1 Corinthians 12:8 – 10, 28).
Knowledge is the ability to acquire and communicate biblical knowledge for the benefit of the church Body (Acts 5, 8:26-38; 1 Corinthians 12:8; John 4).
Leadership motivates, directs, and delegates responsibilities to others; one’s personal life is to be an example of the performance expected of others (2 Kings 12:6-8; Nehemiah 2:17-18; Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:7).
Administration understands and facilitates the activities and procedures of others; different from the gift of leadership the individual with the gift of administration understands how an organization operates, casts a vision of how to increase its effectiveness, and guides from behind the scenes (2 Kings 12:7-12; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Timothy 3:1-5, 12).
Exhortation affirms, builds up, and encourage others (Acts 9:26-27; 11:22-23; 13:15; Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 5:1).
Helps or Service lifts others’ burdens by extending a “helping hand” and creates the environment that allows others to succeed in their areas of giftedness (Acts 6:1 – 6; Acts 9:36 – 39; Romans 12:7; Philippians 2:25–30; 1 Peter 4:11).
Giving uses financial and material resources to further God’s work and contributes generously, with a cheerful spirit, and without second thoughts or regrets (Romans 12:8; 2 Corinthians 9:7-14).
Mercy bestows empathy and seeks to ease the hurting and meet the need of others (Matthew 23:23; Romans 12:8; Titus 3:5; James 3:17).
Faith is the ability to trust God to do what He says He will do. Such faith is the result of much prayer, is accompanied by the assurance that God is working on one’s behalf, and believes God can and will do what others deem as impossible (Acts 6:5-8; 11:24; Romans 12:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11:1).
Visit The Everyday Homemaker next week as we continue our study on the Homemaker’s Heart in terms of her Spiritual Gifts.
Blessings on your week as you focus on making your house a home!