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What gifts and abilities has God given me to serve others?

The term “spiritual gifts” originates from the Greek words pneumatika (spiritual or of the Spirit) and charisma (gift). Spiritual gifts are special abilities or functions given by the Holy Spirit that are meant to be used by God’s people to complete God’s work.

Spiritual gifts are given with a purpose. God wants to redeem this broken world, and he has chosen to use us, the church, to do it. Whereas in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit temporarily came upon followers of God to enable them to fulfill specific tasks, the New Testament clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers and that all believers have spiritual gifts. And since the New Testament refers to specific gifts, it seems safe to assume that God wants us to identify our gifts in order to best use them.

Spiritual gifts are tools that are meant to be used. The divine task of restoring broken people to God has been imparted to us, and we must put these tools to work. In this parable about the bags of gold, Jesus illustrated this principle for his disciples.

KEY VERSE

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (Romans 12:4–6)

KEY IDEA

I know my spiritual gifts and use them to fulfill God’s purposes.

KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?

If you want to gain a better understanding of your own spiritual gifts, look for a number of excellent resources and tools online or in Christian bookstores. You can also simply ask people to help you discover your gifts. Use the story in this chapter and ask three folks to circle the role they see you playing. Your responsibility is to discover and develop God’s gifts, and then to find how each one fits into the world he wants to reach. You have been given a gift, and God plans to use your gift to change the world.

When we are children, most of us pretend to have, or dream about having, some sort of superpower. The Creator has given you a divine gift. When it is used in and through your unique personality, abilities, and intellect, energized by his Holy Spirit, God will certainly produce supernatural results far above what you could ask for or imagine him to ever do.