UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTS
Did you know that everyone of you is a gift to the Body of Christ? This gift can only be unwrapped and given to others when you seek to find out your special endowment and ask God to release it. And this gift can only be of benefit if you use it when the opportunity comes.
I love mentoring other women. It is so rewarding to see the results after I teach the Women for the Harvest class. I can often see gifts lying dormant in women even when the women themselves do not see them. First Timothy 4:14 states, "Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination]." (AMP) Many people take this to mean that unless they are officially ordained, God will not give them gifts. This is not true. The Bible is full of examples of people who operated in the gifts even though they were not officially ordained into the ministry. The women we read about in chapter four whom Paul mentioned as evangelists, teachers, pastors, etc., were never written about as having been set apart, yet the gifts flowed through them.
I have found that so many Christians look to their pastors or elders as the only ones worthy or eligible to have the gifts. They think that because they are not as mature in the Lord that they do not know what to do. They are afraid to step out and pray for people for whatever is needed. This simply is not right. Why would God tell us in II Timothy 1:6-7, "That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (AMP)
Again, if we look at the great ministers in the Bible, we will see that they had to deal with feelings of inferiority, fear, and incapability. God spoke to Moses in the book of Exodus and told him to go tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. In Exodus 3:11, "And Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’" But God answered him in verse twelve, "I will certainly be with you…" This is what God still says to us today, just as He did to Moses. No matter what He calls you to do or where He places an open door, you are not alone -- He is with you to enable you to do what is required. Moses continued to try to convince God that he was not the man for the job. God loves to work through people who know in their own ability, they can do nothing. It is then that God gets all the glory.
In Exodus 4:10 we are told, "And Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue.’" Most Bible scholars take this to mean Moses had a stuttering problem. But the Lord went on to say in verses eleven and twelve, "And the Lord said to him, who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf or seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be your mouth and will teach you what you may say.” When Moses continued complaining, God was displeased and said that He would have Moses speak through Aaron. As it turned out, Moses finally did get over his fear and was used mightily by God to take the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. What if Moses had refused? There are people waiting for you just as there were people waiting for Moses. We all have to fight the fear of man, or of being rejected or misunderstood, when we step out in faith to do something for the Lord. How easy it would be just to sit back and ignore an inner prompting when He is asking us to do something. Remember that I Corinthians 14:1 tells us to eagerly pursue and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts).
We were created not just to be born-again and have a relationship with Him, but to bear fruit. John 15:16 says, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." This is not a suggestion, but a command. When we ask in the name of Jesus, our gifts accomplish what we need them to do.
It doesn’t matter what your gifts are. As the Body of Christ, we must all work and function together for the Body to be whole and complete. We must operate in what God has predetermined for us. We should not think of one gift as being more important than another. Just because a woman stands up at the pulpit preaching with people applauding her does not make her any more valuable than the people who interceded for her and the meeting. Both were very necessary for the people to receive something from the Lord. There are many things you will be called to do behind the scenes that no one but the Lord will recognize or appreciate. The ones with the gift that were publicly noticed and appreciated have already received their reward. Yours is yet to come!
So why don’t people do as we were told in I Peter 4:10? "As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].” (AMP)
I believe that many people fail to use their gifts because they do not understand what the gifts that God gave us are or know how to function in them. God knew that we would need something other than our own abilities, so we need to learn how to take full advantage of the provision He has made for us.
There are three different sets of spiritual gifts that are mentioned in the Bible. I Corinthians 12:1 tells us, "Now about the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed." (AMP) We will begin with the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit which you receive when you are filled with the Holy Spirit. The listing of these gifts is found in I Corinthians 12:8-10.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues.
The word of wisdom enables a person to make supernaturally wise choices or give information in the present that will positively affect the future. It is the sudden and miraculous giving of wisdom to meet a particular situation, answer a particular question, or verbalize a particular piece of knowledge. An example from the Old Testament would be Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. This was not natural wisdom or wisdom through study and preparation, but Joseph was given an immediate supernatural answer.
The word of knowledge is the supernatural revelation of past, present, or future facts and an understanding about a present situation which we could not know naturally. An example of how this gift operates is found in II Kings 6:8-23 where Elisha, by a miraculous revelation, was given the location of the Syrian army’s camp, thereby saving Israel from battle.
The gift of faith is when a person is given a supernatural trust in God to move in a situation. You just know that you know that God is going to intervene in a situation and do what needs to be done. Others around may not see how this could happen or are not totally convinced. Elijah is a shining example of this gift in the Old Testament. He suddenly appeared on the scene in I Kings 17:1 and announced to King Ahab, the most wicked king Israel ever had, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.“ And surely enough, there was no rain for the next three years.
The gifts of healing are given to all of us in the Great Commission, but God gives some a special anointing for healings on a regular basis. Some even have a gift to heal a particular disease. Since there are many diseases, many gifts of healing are needed.
The working of miracles is when God supernaturally works through you to do such mighty acts as deliverance or other manifestations that show God’s power. Some miracles in the Old Testament include the dividing of the Red Sea for the escape of the Children of Israel (Exodus 14:21-31) and the miraculous multiplication of oil in the widow’s cruse and meal in her barrel throughout the time of the famine (I Kings 17:8-16).
The gift of prophecy enables the believer to speak a word of edification, exhortation, or comfort from the Lord to a situation or person he or she knows nothing about in the natural. What a wonderful example of prophecy we find in Isaiah chapter fifty-three where the prophet promises that Jesus would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows!
The discerning of spirits allows a person to discern between the operation of the Holy Spirit and demonic spirits in a person or situation. The story of Elisha and his servant Gehazi in II Kings chapter five is a good example of how Elisha discerned the dishonest spirit, and then through the word of knowledge, knew exactly what his servant had done.
Diverse kinds of tongues are given to a person, allowing them to speak in languages they do not know. On the Day of Pentecost, the believers in the Upper Room supernaturally spoke at least sixteen languages.
The interpretation of tongues gives a person the ability to understand an unknown tongue and translate the message into the language being spoken.
The passage concerning these supernatural gifts concludes in verse eleven of I Corinthians chapter twelve by saying, "All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses." (AMP) So God chooses the gifts He wants you to have.
We are able to use them as we need them, but only if we are open and realize that we are candidates to receive these gifts. Some of you will be given a particular gift (or gifts) that you will use on a regular basis. Many times, you will see that there will be two or more functioning together. One example is when a prophetic word is given, it could also include the gift of wisdom or word of knowledge. Or when the gifts of healing are operating, the gift of miracles could be present. In the operation of the gift of miracles where a deliverance occurs, the discerning of spirits could also be operating to enable you to see if there is a demon that needs to be cast out.
Remember that you, not just those in leadership in your church, are given these gifts. Most of you will need these gifts outside of the church: in meetings, the work place, or wherever the Lord knows you require them to help to minister to someone.
These nine gifts can be divided into three groups. The spoken gifts encompass the diversity of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. These minister to us spiritually. The power gifts are the working of miracles, the gift of faith, and the gifts of healing. These minister to us physically. The revelation gifts include the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits. These minister to us emotionally.
The next set of gifts we will study are called the five-fold ministry gifts. These are given to people who are called into the ministry on a full-time basis. Since the majority of Christians are not called to these gifts, we must remember that we can still minister to others even though we are not in full-time ministry. The word ministry means serving God by serving His people however He chooses you to do it. These five callings or gifts are named in Ephesians 4:11-12:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
An easy way to remember what the five-fold gifts are and how they operate in the Body of Christ is to count them off using the fingers on your left hand.
First, your thumb represents the apostle. It can touch all the other fingers, just as this ministry touches all the other ministries of the five-fold listing. This is because a true apostle is one who can go into virgin territory for the Lord and raise up a ministry. To do this, the apostle must function first as a prophet to see the vision, then as an evangelist to win souls. Then the apostle needs to be a pastor who nurtures the people and a teacher who gets the people established in the word and their faith.
The prophet is represented by your index or pointer finger because he points us to the future. This brings revelation, knowledge, and direction to the church.
The evangelist is represented by your middle finger because it reaches out farther than your other fingers. The evangelist is a soul winner whose words bring conviction to sinners and encouragement to believers.
The pastor is represented by your fourth or ring finger. He is married to the flock. He or she exercises authority over the church by feeding, loving, and -- when necessary -- correcting them.
The teacher is represented by the little or fifth finger on the hand. This “pinky” finger is the only one small enough to get inside your ear. It brings a sense of balance to the rest of the five-fold ministry. The teacher’s responsibility is to clarify truths to the Body of Christ.
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers all have been given to the church to edify and equip the saints and to help them mature in their Christian walks. It takes all five of these ministries working together to bring the Body to the place God has called it.
The key to finding your gift is total surrender. Really, your life is not your own -- give it to Him. I never dreamed that one day I would have the gift of teaching. For some of you, these gifts are going to be a part of your future, too.
Only certain people are called to the five-fold ministry, but every born-again believer is called to the third set of ministry gifts that we find in Romans 12:4-8.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Each of us has one main foundational or motivational gift -- as they are called. Although you may have traits of the others, there will be only one or two that you will closely identify with. Jesus had all seven of these gifts. Seven is the number of completion in the Bible. When you see these seven gifts operating in the Body, you see His complete image.
Prophecy motivated people are very perceptive. They are also called perceivers as they have great spiritual insight into what motivates others. They see the motivation behind other’s actions and can identify them as being good or evil. These people are very frank and direct verbally. The motivational or prophecy gift should not be confused with the ministerial position of a prophet or the gift of prophecy in I Corinthians 12:1. John the Baptist is a biblical example of this foundational gift of prophecy. A prophecy-motivated person always calls others to true repentance. If this is your gift, be certain to speak the truth in love and be led of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, God will show you things about a person or situation strictly for you to intercede for them and not to confront.
The next gift is that of ministry, or the gift of helps. These people meet the practical needs in the church as well as for others. A server who is called into one of the five-fold ministries will be more successful than other ministers with the other foundational gifts because she is very practical in her approach. Servers already know how to meet people’s needs, so they have an advantage. You must have the attitude of a servant in the five-fold ministry to be successful. Servers are alert to detect and meet needs as quickly as possible. It is just in their nature to help. The problem that servers have is saying no to everything that needs to be done. It is important to ask the Lord if you should say yes or no when asked to meet a need. Just because there is something that needs to be done doesn’t mean that you are the one to do it. A person who has this ministry of helps needs to be recognized and to feel appreciated. For those of you who have this gift, there will be many times that you won’t receive the recognition or appreciation. Just remember that God sees everything that you do for Him and He will reward you. A good example of a server in the Bible is Martha.
A person who has the motivational gift of teaching receives great joy from studying and researching the Word. Many times a teacher enjoys studying more than actually presenting biblical truths; therefore, this is not the same five-fold gift of teaching. These people prefer to use biblical examples rather than personal. They are very quick to catch scriptures that are used out of context and are very apt to correct those who interpret scriptures incorrectly. Teachers like to present their material in a systematic sequence. They need to be careful to present their material in an interesting way and to use some practical application. Teachers must also be careful not to let the facts become more important than the people to whom they are being presented. If you are a teacher, be sure to teach with humility and compassion, not just your intellect. Paul’s foundational gift was teaching and he was also called to the five-fold ministry of a teacher.
An exhorter is one who is motivated to exhort or encourage people. Remember, the foundational gifts are what motivate you and what you do naturally. Exhorters want to see believers mature and grow in their relationship with God. They edify and encourage people and like to give steps of activity to bring others out of their problems. They like information from the Bible that has practical application. Exhorters are sensitive to others reactions as an indication as to whether the people they are ministering to are benefiting from what they are saying. They need a visible response, so they do better with an enthusiastic and responsive audience. Exhorters need not be discouraged when they don’t always get this response, because many people may have received something from them but not have always shown it or exhorted them about how they liked their ministry. Barnabas is our biblical example. He followed and encouraged Paul.
A person who has the gift of giving loves to give freely, not only of her money, but also of her time and herself to the Lord’s work. Givers desire to give quietly to effective ministries and projects. When they do, they feel they are knit spiritually to those ministries. They like to give without others knowing and do not want credit or acclaim. They also don’t like being pressured into giving by appeal letters because they are already motivated to give. They are delighted when their offering is an answer to another’s prayer. A biblical character that demonstrated this, is Abraham who gave generously to others and God.
A person with the gift of organization is one who rules or administers and is able to see the overall picture of what needs to be done in a situation and clarify long-range goals. Administrators are able to direct and lead others. With this gift, they are excellent communicators. They gain tremendous satisfaction in achieving their goals and involving others. They have an ability to know what can and cannot be delegated. They are also aware of the available resources to complete a task and have no problem getting people and resources together to get the job done. Nehemiah is our biblical example. He, with the help of the Israelites under his leadership, completed the wall that surrounded and protected their temple.
The last foundational gift is mercy. This person is full of compassion for others. Those with the gift of mercy have an ability to feel the atmosphere of joy or distress in an individual or group. They are actually attracted to people in distress and understand them. This type of person is very trusting and is also very trustworthy. They avoid conflict and confrontations. In a situation, they are able to discern the true motives of people. It is never their desire to hurt anyone, so they are very sensitive to their words and actions so as not to do so. When they see someone hurting, they love to minister the Word to set them free. The Good Samaritan is our biblical example.
All seven gifts have the same importance to the Body. Your gift is what motivates your actions. Some of you may never have realized that your personality trait is an actual gift to the Body. I have a friend that is a server, operating in the ministry of helps. She never realized that it was a gift she had. She just did what came to her naturally and didn’t understand why everybody else didn’t work right along side her. Statistics show that twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work that needs to be done. In other words, there are very few servers, but they get a lot accomplished for the Kingdom.
Knowing your gifts will also help you understand others. Others who do not have your motivational gift are consequently not motivated the way you are to do certain things. This can cause us to be judgmental or critical of others who don’t behave as we do. Knowing this helps you understand, on the other hand, why you are drawn to certain people -- most likely those who have similar gifts to you.
If you don’t know what your gifts are, ask the Lord. Young believers will have to take some time to recognize and let their gifts come to light. When I was first born-again, I really had no desire for the gifts. I was so focused on myself that at one meeting I attended, I realized that I really had little compassion for anyone but myself. As God began to heal me, I started to get His heart for others. As I grew to know Him, I became more like Him and saw more of the gifts in my life.
Though not everyone will be given the five-fold ministry gifts, all who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit need to remember the nine gifts that come with it. They are yours and they are free. Matthew 10:8 says, "…Freely you have received, now freely give." The same is true of the seven foundational gifts in Romans 12:4-8. You all have at least one or two.
You will feel happy and fulfilled pouring out the talents God has given you. Don’t let fear stop you! What happened to the man in Matthew 25:24-30 who was given one talent but never used it? He said, "I was afraid, so I hid my talent." Did the Lord say, "That is alright, I understand”? No! The Lord called him a wicked, lazy, and idle servant and ordered that he be thrown into outer darkness.
The Lord tells us in I Peter 4:10, "As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor]." (AMP) We were created to follow Jesus’ example in the Bible. He was always helping, healing, and trying to serve others in some way. If you are not truly satisfied as a Christian, one of the reasons could be that you are not using your talents to help others.
Many women say to me, "I know the gifts I have, but my church doesn’t believe in women ministers." There are people everywhere waiting for you outside the church. Recently a woman came with her husband to install new counters in our kitchen. Her back had been badly hurt in an accident. Because I was obedient and stepped out in faith, God anointed me with the gift of healing and she left with a brand new back. The healing happened right in my kitchen, nowhere near our church!
The secret to your gift is grace -- the supernatural ability to do something you could never do. Jesus -- not me -- healed the lady in my kitchen, but He used my hands, prayer, and faith. In the same way, He needs your hands, your heart, and your mouth so He can flow through you to touch others. We are all He has. He wants to answer people’s prayers. How does He do it many times? Through ordinary people just like you and me who dare to believe!
It is important to find your gift. I love to hear people sing, and at one point convinced myself that God had given me the anointing to sing. My family quickly corrected me and told me where He had called me. If you are called for a particular gift, then you will be anointed and there will be confirmation. I was at a meeting where I was to speak, and right before I came up on the stage, they had a special song. A little old man began to sing. He didn’t have a strong singing voice, but as he sang, the presence of God was on Him so strongly that it brought most of us to tears. This was his gift. This was his calling and we were all touched.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." This little poem, entitled Your Gift, brings all of this to a conclusion:
The Lord has given you a talent,
Though in some areas you may lack,
There is a skill at which you excel
One thing for which you have a knack.
Your gift may not be evident yet
Your ability may seem unclear
But the Lord will make it plain
Soon your gift will appear.
Your talent might look unimportant
It may not bring fortune or acclaim.
God’s favor will be your fame.
Stay on the path you’ve chosen.
From God’s direction do not drift.
In life you do not walk unarmed.
For God has given you a gift.
Ladies, you can’t earn your gift or pick it -- it’s a gift. Just discover it and accept it. It is not your gift until you open it and receive it. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. How rewarding to read in Hebrews 6:10, "For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do." (AMP) Nothing you do, be it big or small, will ever go unnoticed by the Lord.
This month's meditation is an except from Peggy's book, Women for the Harvest. As you can see, the powerful material is this chapter is not for women only. Everyone will enjoy and benefit from the lessons in this book. For your free copy, donate online this month.