Owning Your Gifts – Part Two

(In September 2020, this blog was blessed to have a series of blogs written by Shirley R. Evans on Freedom and the Godly Woman. Shirley is back with a brief series on the subject of gifts in the Body of Christ – knowing them and putting them into action. Part one established how gifts are a part of God’s masterpiece and we all contribute by exercising those gifts. This entry helps with discovering the gifts and first exploring the difference between spiritual gifts and natural talents … For His Name’s Sake, Shalom, C. L. J. Dryden.)

Talent or Gift?

A gift is distinguished from a talent in that the gift goes beyond your natural abilities. 

For example, one of my gifts is to teach – whilst I have a decent education and experience of life, I have never trained as a teacher. Until recently I had never taught in a classroom setting. Having said that, my level of education does mean that I have a good understanding of any written documents including the word of God and always had an ability to communicate with people. However, my abilities to understand and rightly divide the word of truth go beyond any natural book learning. I read the word, receive insights that others may miss and my passion and ability to convey this to others goes way beyond the natural.

I once heard someone say, “the happiest man on the planet is one who knows he is at the centre of God’s will for his life”   For me I have a sense of this every time I operate in my giftings.  I feel joy at knowing that I have put another brick in the wall for the building of the Kingdom of God. The joy I experience when I see that others understand and are motivated by the word of God is worth getting up for.I would get up each and every day just for this.

How To Recognise Your Gift

The first thing to say is that all gifts come from the Father.  He tells us to desire the gifts

You should seek after love, and you should truly want the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:1

The first thing to note in this verse is that the thing we seek isn’t the gift but love, Love is a great part of the fruit of the Spirit and any gifting not operated from a position of love is a gift misused. When we are fully grounded in love the gifts are a natural bi-product, but the verse tells us we should want the gifts.

Prayerfully seek to know what your gift is. God gives gifts and His desire is that we use them to build his Kingdom. It therefore follows that we should ask Him what gifts He has given us.

What is in your hand?  When God asked Moses this question, Moses had a staff. To him it was just a staff used to shepherd and govern wayward sheep. With God it was a powerful tool by which miracles could be performed.  If you have a natural ability to encourage others when you yield this ability to God and allow Him to magnify and use that ability to deliver a “right now” word to those who are discouraged or grieving, it becomes a mighty word delivering the oppressed and releasing those held captive by depression etc.

Do something!  All too often, as believers, we sit on the side-lines while we wait for a great light to shine on the huge ministry ready-made and tailored just for us. But, as many will testify, ask any worldwide ministry started from very humble beginnings and experienced failure and discouragement, but they kept on going and trusted God. Don’t wait for to be called in a particular setting by a particular person, look for opportunities wherever they occur – volunteer at the local YMCA, or look into prison ministry etc.  Don’t wait for the big thing – serve in the seemingly insignificant roles and watch how your gift is magnified and God glorified in the most seemingly insignificant of places.

Hone your gift:  Whatever God has given to us we have the responsibility to work on it, sharpen and develop our gifting.  Paul tells the young Timothy “study to show thyself approved unto God.”  Don’t be like the unprofitable servant who hid his talent, work on it – pray, fast, study, attend workshops, read books, surround yourself with like-minded people, who will pour into your life and hold you accountable.

It’s also important to remember just why using the gifts to the glory of God, which is something I’ll explore further in the upcoming final part of this series.

(Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash)

Blessings,

Shirley R. Evans of Eden Cumi Ministries