For the next two weeks we’re going to be looking at spiritual gifts… and not just spiritual gifts in general, as we read about them in the Bible, but also YOUR PERSONAL spiritual gift(s). It’s exciting to know that God has given every believer a unique ability to serve in His Body, the Church.

By asking and answering questions each day, we’ll try to understand better the big picture when it comes to spiritual gifts. We’ll also list sixteen specific “gifts” and see which ones remind you of your own personal walk. 

So let’s dig in and try to understand more clearly this, sometimes confusing, subject.

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT?

Many Christians – especially young Christians – sometimes ask, “What is my spiritual gift?” But what they should be asking first is, “What is a spiritual gift?” Most believers don’t understand the relationship of spiritual gifts. That is, they don’t understand how a spiritual gift relates to their life; how it relates to God’s will for their life; how it relates to the lives of those around them; how it relates to the local church; or how it relates to the Body of Christ as a whole. Just knowing what your potential gift(s) might be doesn’t make you a more effective, a more fulfilled, or a better Christian. It doesn’t give you any more understanding of yourself or those around you.

A spiritual gift is a special ability, given by God, for Christian service. Spiritual gifts are tools that God gives Christians to do the work of the ministry—to fulfill the Great Commission to reach, baptize, teach and to minister to one another.

Spiritual gifts are the tools God uses to build His Church. A spiritual gift is a divine calling with a divine responsibility, because what God has gifted you to do, He has called you to do.

THE PURPOSE OF Spiritual gifts

Probably the simplest definition of a spiritual gift would be this: a spiritual gift is the God-given capacity of every Christian to carry out their function in the Body of Christ.

There are basically four places in the New Testament where we can read in detail about spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4.

After reading through these passages you will find a few principles common about the purpose of spiritual gifts:

1. For the Body of Christ to function effectively, each individual Christian needs to contribute
2. Every part of the Church Body is essential to the well-being of the Body of Christ
3. Spiritual gifts are given to the individual to benefit the entire Body

Read 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:3-8 to get a good “feel” for the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts.