The topic of gifts is on most people’s minds right now as we enter December…I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been on the forefront of mine! But in this season of celebrating Christ’s birth and giving gifts, I wanted to take the time to discuss what gifts Christ has given to us. And I’m not talking about physical gifts per se, though I’m sure you can think of plenty! But I want to offer an introduction to spiritual gifts; these are the specific gifts God has given us to joyfully serve His greater purpose. This will serve as Part 1 – Finding your Spiritual Gift and will be followed by Part 2 – Using your gift.

Let’s talk for a moment about what spiritual gifts are. Spiritual gifts are unique talents given through the Holy Spirit to every believer with the intended use of furthering the church. Spiritual gifts are areas of service that we find ourselves “naturally” talented in. We also find a feeling of joy and fulfillment when serving in our giftedness. Romans 8: 4-8 summarizes this purpose as well as provides several examples of such gifts:

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

As the church is often referred to as “the body of Christ,” it is important for us to seek our function as a part of that body. I’ll provide a list of spiritual gifts and definitions shortly, but first I want to talk about how to determine what your gift may be.

It starts with prayer—ask God to make it clear what area your giftedness is in. A good indication of your gift may be your career choice. If you are doing something that you love and find fulfilling, you may be one of the blessed that works in your giftedness! Other valuable resources are your loved ones. Ask those closest to you what areas you seem to be naturally skilled in or ways you’ve been most impactful to them. Maybe you’ve been told you are very comforting or encouraging. Maybe you’ve been told you very boldly speak truth. These may be little hints to what your giftedness is! There are also online tests you can take to help you get an idea of what your giftedness may be—just be cautious of any bias you may have for finding one gift to be more desirable than another. No gift is worth any more than another, and all gifts, just like all parts of the body, have a unique and important purpose in furthering the Kingdom of God! So regardless of the input you receive externally, pursue affirmation from God in prayer about this subject until you know with confidence what area you are gifted in. One last word of caution: in your search for this answer, don’t make the mistake of focussing too much on your gift (thus focusing on yourself) but keep your focus on the one who provided this gift! Our identity isn’t in this gift but in Christ, and as you walk with him and mature in your faith, you’ll begin to grow in each area of giftedness—not just the one you are most inclined to!

Now onto the gifts. I’ll be focusing on gifts directly related to our serving the purpose of the church. They are

Evangelism – Leading others to accept Christ

Prophecy – Speaking God’s truth with boldness and clarity

Teaching – Educating others on the truth of scripture in a way that brings understanding

Exhortation – Encouraging and inspiring others to act and serve in their purpose

Shepherding – also can be known as pastoring, leading a flock in God’s way

Mercy – Showing Grace and compassion to those who are suffering

Giving – providing physical and often financial resources to help progress the work of the church

Administration – also known as an organizer

In your search for gifts, you may also come across miraculous gifts, such as healing, miracles, and speaking in tongues. There is a lot of debate as to how relevant these are in the church today, especially as many churches or leaders who claim to have healing power or the power to do miracles are often times debunked as the leaders don’t truly have this “gift” but benefit in fame or wealth by claiming that they do. Regarding speaking in tongues, the Bible provides certain guidelines that should be followed as to not cause confusion or distract from an understood language in church (See Corinthians 14: 13-19). While it is not outside of God’s power to use these gifts, it’s safe to assume these gifts won’t be as prevalent and applicable as the service gifts.

For some seeking out their gift, you may have been able to read through this list and know for certain which one is yours! And if you require more affirmation, I hope you can find it through prayer as well as counsel from mentors or loved ones. The beautiful truth behind your gift is that God created you with intentionality and purpose—and I hope this can be a step for you in finding that purpose.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Praying you find your special gift,

Haley