What Is a Spiritual Gift?
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, 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 Bible teaches three interrelated concepts that give us the basis for our understanding of spiritual gifts.
The Priesthood of All Believers
True or False? God intends for every member of our church to be active in ministry. True! According to Scripture, we’re all called to be active in the ministry of the church. God never intended for church to be a spectator sport. According to 1 Peter 2:9, God had just the opposite in mind: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
The words “royal priesthood” are for all Christians, not just professional clergy. Men and women—we’re all part of the priesthood of believers.
The Giftedness of Each Child of God
The Bible tells us that every believer can do ministry in some way. Each person has important work to do in the church regardless of gender, age, or education. Paul wrote, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Finally, consider this passage in Romans: “If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:8
Clearly, our God-given abilities, skills, and passions are to be used to build up the body of Christ and to glorify God. Those are the truths wrapped up in the theology of “the giftedness of each child of God.”
The Whole Body of Christ
In the same way that each believer has a God-given ability, skill, or passion to use in ministry, each believer has a particular function in the body of Christ. We all fit somewhere, but we don’t all fit everywhere. There’s a big difference.
How Do I Find my Spiritual Gift?
Your first step is to take the Spiritual Gifts Assessment. It’s easy to do. Just click on Spiritual Gifts Assessment, answer the assessment questions, and print out your results for your records. Be sure to bring a copy to the office or email your results to church office and we can help you plug into a ministry that fits your passions.
