The Discernment and Stewardship of Spiritual Gifts
I. Introduction: About
Spiritual Gifts
In recent years, there was been a
renewal of interest in the biblical concept of spiritual gifts within our
denomination. While there are different
ways to understand their relevance for our church today, there is also exciting
potential in exploring and t
esting that relevance.
Based on biblical references, as
well as more recent books and articles on the topic, spiritual gifts (or "grace
gifts," from the Greek work charismata;
or simply "gifts") are abilities given by God to each person in the church, to
help the church carry out its mission in the world. The purpose and function of the gifts is
manifested in two broad areas: 1) building up the body (an inward focus); and
2) sharing the good news of God's kingdom (whether through word or deed, action
or example; whether through specific ministries of the church or through our
day-to-day lives and vocations--an outward focus).
To say they are "spiritual" means
that they are more than merely human abilities or attributes-they are empowered
by the Holy Spirit. It follows that the
more open we are to the leading of the Spirit in our lives and our church, the
more these gifts will blossom and bear fruit.
Using our gifts is a matter of grateful obedience to God's purposes.
Following are some additional characteristics
of spiritual gifts (gleaned both from scripture and from contemporary sources
on the subject):
Each
person has one or more
No
gift is more important than another; all are needed
They
are not an occasion for pride or arrogance, but rather humility and
gratefulness
Their
use will give energy and joy to the user
While
they may appear ordinary, they will produce extraordinary results
(although not always seen at the time)
While
the Bible specifically identifies approximately 20 spiritual gifts, it is
clear that these were merely representative examples of their rich
diversity. Understood in their
broadest sense as abilities for carrying out God's mission, the only limit
to their number and nature is God's own creativity and grace.
The
"gifts of the Spirit" are different from the "fruits of the Spirit" in
that the latter are attributes towards which all are to strive (love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, etc.), whereas we are not all intended to have
the same gifts
II. Questions to assist
in the discernment of our spiritual gifts
(We encourage each person in our
congregation-adults and children, members and attenders--to take some time to
work through these questions. Use
whichever questions seem most helpful; it may be additionally helpful to
process them in conversation with others, whether family, friends, house
church, prayer partner, or pastor):
1. What are
the things in life that are so much a part of who I am, and that give me joy
and energy, that I cannot keep from doing them?
2. What are
the things that I am "good at"--that I have a talent (or training) for?
3. What are
the contexts in my life where I have most felt the Holy Spirit working through
me?
4. What
aspects of the church's ministries and mission do I find most energizing?
5. What
aspects do I find the most draining?
6. With
which of the spiritual gifts listed below do I most identify?
7. What
gift(s) could be added that would better represent me?
8. Based on
my answers to the above questions, what might my spiritual gift(s) be?
9. How
might I use it/them for . . .
A) Building up the body? and/or,
B) Sharing the good news through word,
deed, example, or witness (whether within specific programs of the church or
beyond)?
10. What is
keeping me from using my spiritual gifts?
III. A
representative list of some spiritual gifts
Note: this is not an exhaustive list. Some are specifically mentioned in scripture;
some aren't. The number and nature of
spiritual gifts is determined by the creative imagination of the Holy Spirit,
in response to the needs of the church and the world.
Administration-the ability to
manage and organize resources with efficiency and effectiveness
Art-the ability to create or
perform works of visual beauty in a way that communicates the love and
grace of God
Battle-the
ability to boldly confront those spiritual forces which oppose the will of
God
Craftsmanship-the ability to design,
build, or repair items of practical use as well as beauty
Creative Writing-the ability to
use language in a way that communicates the love and grace of God
Discernment-the general ability to
sort, differentiate, or prioritize, and the specific ability to distinguish
good from evil, what is life-giving from life-taking.
Exhortation-the ability to
encourage, challenge, inspire, and motivate others.
Exorcism-the ability to draw upon
God's power in order to expel a specific evil spirit or power
Evangelism-the ability to witness
persuasively to the love of God through word and also deed
Faith-the ability to believe in,
and ask confidently for, the sovereign, miraculous intervention of God
Giving-the ability to give without
hesitation or reserve, particularly of one's material resources
Healing-the ability to restore
others to physical, emotional, or spiritual wellness
Helping-the ability to aid or
assist others in need
Hospitality-the ability to welcome
and host others (including those beyond one's more intimate circles)
Humor-the ability to bring refreshing
laughter to a given context or situation
Interpretation-the ability to
translate the Spirit-inspired utterances of others (see "Tongues")
Knowledge-the ability to gather
and organize facts and comprehend truths about our world.
Leadership-the ability to mobilize
the passion, energy, and gifts of others towards the accomplishment of a
task.
Martyrdom-the ability to stand
firm on one's faith convictions, with humility and despite fear of the
consequences.
Mercy-the ability to empathize
deeply with and respond to the distress of others
Miracles-the ability to do
powerful works which seem to transcend natural laws and which glorify God
in the process
Missionary-the ability to reach
beyond one's own race, culture, or nationality to serve human or spiritual
needs
Music-the ability to create or
perform music in a way that communicates the love and grace of God
Pastor-the ability to care for the
spiritual, physical, and relational well-being of individuals and/or groups
Prayer-the ability to commune with
God through word and silence, to intercede for the world's needs, and to
listen for God's response.
Prophecy-the ability to discern
and proclaim God's will for our church and world
Service-the ability to devote
oneself to the needs of others, with humility and without the need for
payment or recognition.
Teaching-the ability to guide
others in learning about Christian faith and faithfulness
Tongues-the ability to praise or
pray to God in spontaneous, Spirit-inspired utterances; also, the ability
to communicate in human languages beyond one's own
Voluntary Poverty-the ability to
live a life unencumbered by material possessions and responsibilities
Wisdom-the ability to distill
human knowledge to its "divine" essentials, to see with God's eyes, to
prioritize and discern by the Spirit's leading.
Other-the ability to . . . (use
your Spirit-inspired imagination!):
IV. Using our gifts
in specific tasks and ministries of the Church
In its broadest sense, the mission
of the church encompasses all that we do and are in our day-to-day lives,
including our vocation and other time commitments, interaction with neighbors,
etc. Christian stewardship involves the
use of our spiritual gifts in all of these areas.
However, one of the ways the church
carries out its mission is through specific ministries, some of which are
focused inwardly towards "building the body," and others focused outwardly
towards sharing the good news of God's kingdom.
The power and effectiveness of these ministries lies precisely in their
use of diverse gifts towards united purposes.
There is no one-to-one correlation
between any one spiritual gift and a specific ministry of the church. These ministries benefit from-and indeed
depend on-multiple gifts. At the same
time, certain gifts will have more natural affinity to some ministries than
others. (For example, the Board of
Deacons benefits from persons having a variety of gifts, including
Administration, Discernment, Exhortation, Humor, etc. However, persons having gifts of caring such
as Mercy and Pastor will fit particularly well in this board.)
