100 Days to a Healthier ChurchSample

Day 32

Today’s Big Idea: What are my spiritual gifts? 

Every follower of Jesus has at least one spiritual gift. That includes you. You may not know what those gifts are yet, you may not even fully believe you have any, but you do.

Key Verse: We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:6).

Thoughts to Consider: The opening verse of this passage is quite a bombshell, isn’t it? Think of yourself using “sober judgment.” This reminds me of one of our starting principles—the first task of a leader is to define reality. That’s what the apostle Paul is telling us to do. Use sober judgment to understand who we are in Christ, including what spiritual gifts he has given us and how we might be called to use them.

There is so much to learn about the spiritual gifts in today’s passage. Here are just a few points to consider: First, every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. Verse 3 tells us the gifts are “distributed to each of you,” not just to some. Second, our gifts serve different functions, as we see in verse 4: “These members do not all have the same function.” Third, a person’s position in the church should be based on their gifts. Note that in verses 7–8, a person’s giftedness (serving, teaching, encouraging) leads to their function (serve, teach, give encouragement). The best way to serve the Lord with real purpose and joy is to find out what God has gifted you with, then do that!

This leads to a very important question that may have been nagging you: “What are my Spiritual gifts and how can I discover them?” There are some helpful spiritual gifts assessments available, but the best a written assessment can do is suggest a direction to consider or affirm what you already know. The most definitive way to discover your gifts is simple: start doing something! We discover our gifts by using them.

“But how do I use them it if I don’t know what they are?” you may wonder. There’s an old saying that goes, “God won’t steer a parked car.” If you want to be directed, you have to start moving first. Find a need and fill it. Hear a request for help and answer it. Listen to what respected leaders in your life have been telling you. Then experiment. Do what needs to be done, and as you do you’ll start to discover what you do well, how you’re of greatest blessing, and where you fit in the overall picture of the church. You may never know what to call your “gift mix” (a phrase Christians sometimes use to describe the collection of spiritual gifts a believer has), but it’s more important to use them than to know what to call them.

For today, let’s conclude our time by asking and answering the following questions as best we can:

What church activities have I been involved in with some degree of passion and effectiveness?:

  

Based on what I’ve already done in the church, what spiritual gifts might I have?: