Digging Deeper into Spiritual Gifts

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
—1 Corinthians 12:1

Today I will give you further insights about each of the seven spiritual gifts. As you learn about these gifts, the Holy Spirit will help you discover which one He has given to you.

First, the gift of prophecy is the desire and ability to present God’s Word to convict people of their sin and need for a right relationship with God. People with the gift of prophecy need to express their message verbally. They believe every problem can be solved if you just say the right thing. They depend on scriptural truth to validate authority. And people with the gift of prophecy are very protective of God’s reputation.

Second, the gift of serving is the desire and ability to meet practical needs. People with this gift enjoy doing a home repair for somebody in need or bringing meals to people. They tend to notice and remember the likes and the dislikes of others. They are able to fulfill the needs of people and disregard their own weariness or discomfort. They are usually involved in a variety of activities, and they are more interested in short-term goals than long-term goals.

Third, the gift of teaching is the desire and ability to present and clarify biblical truth. People with this gift are constantly testing the knowledge of those who teach, asking, “Does this person know what he’s talking about?” And if you give them a choice—you can either research this message, or you can deliver a message that somebody else has researched—they will choose to do the research themselves because they enjoy in-depth study.

Fourth, the gift of exhortation is the desire and the ability to help people solve personal problems by applying the truth of God’s Word. Their primary view of the Bible is that it is given to help people solve their problems. People with this gift will begin with a problem and then go to the Scripture to help solve the problem rather than starting with the Scripture and trying to make practical application from it.

Fifth, the gift of giving is the desire and ability to use personal assets to further the cause of Christ. People with this gift have the ability to accumulate money so that they can distribute money. They have a desire to give quietly to effective ministries, and they have real joy when their gift is an answer to specific prayer. They also have a concern that their gift is of high quality.

Sixth, the gift of leading is the desire and ability to coordinate activities of others to achieve a common goal. People with this gift have the ability to see the big picture. They don’t like to get bogged down in red tape; they want to get it done as quickly as possible. They know what they can delegate, and they are willing to endure criticism to achieve the common goal.

Finally, the gift of mercy is the desire and ability to comfort those who are hurting. People with this gift are drawn like a magnet to people who have an emotional need. And they are hesitant to be firm with anybody unless they see how it can really help them.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gift — Message 3” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.