Spiritual Gifts pt7: Discovering Yours

By Bill Gothard

3 STAGES OF DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT

1. You are NOT sure what your gift is…

There may be several reasons for this including the tendency to confuse a ministry gift with a motivational gift.

2. You ARE sure what your gift is…

At this stage, you enjoy having fellowship with others who have the same gift. Beware of isolating yourself from interacting with all the gifts, since you will then tend to have a limited response to a given need or situation.

3. You demonstrate ALL the gifts…

By learning to see a need or situation from the perspective of all seven gifts, you will greatly enhance the exercise and effectiveness of your own spiritual gift.

TAKE THE TEST!

The following is a test I would like you to take to help you determine what motivational gift you posses. Start by getting a piece of paper and a pen. Write on your paper “person 1” and then right yes or no to each question below that. Do the same with persons 2-7. Say “yes” to the questions that sound the most like you and “no” to the ones that don’t.

PERSON NUMBER 1

1. You want to make sure that statements are true and accurate.
2. You desire to gain as much knowledge as you can.
3. You react to people who make unfounded statements.
4. You check the credentials of one who wants to teach you.
5. You use your mind to check out an argument.
6. You enjoy spending hours doing research on a subject.
7. You like to tell others as many facts as you can on a topic.
8. You pay close attention to words and phrases.
9. You tend to be silent on a matter until you check it out.
10. You like to study material in a systematic sequence.

PERSON NUMBER 2

1. You can visualize the final result of a major undertaking.
2. You enjoy coordinating the efforts of many to reach a common goal.
3. You can break down a large task into achievable goals.
4. You are able to delegate assignments to others.
5. You see people as resources that can be used to get a job done.
6. You are willing to endure reaction in order to accomplish a task.
7. You require loyalty in those who are under your supervision.
8. You remove yourself from petty details to focus on the final goal.
9. You can encourage your workers and inspire them to action.
10. You move on to a new challenge once a job is finished.

PERSON NUMBER 3

1. You see actions as either right or wrong.
2. You react strongly to people who are not what they appear to be.
3. You can usually detect when something is not what it appears to be.
4. You can quickly discern a person’s character.
5. You feel a responsibility to correct those who do wrong.
6. You separate yourself from those who refuse to repent of evil.
7. You explain what is wrong with an item before you sell it.
8. You let people know how you feel about important issues.
9. You enjoy people who are completely honest with you.
10. You are quick to judge yourself when you fail.
11. You are willing to do right even if it means suffering alone for it.

PERSON NUMBER 4

1. You can sense when people have hurt feelings.
2. You react to those who are insensitive to other’s feelings.
3. You are able to discern genuine love.
4. You desire deep friendships in which there is mutual commitment.
5. You seem to attract people who tell you their problems.
6. You find it difficult to be firm or decisive with people.
7. You tend to take up offenses for those whom you love.
8. You need quality time to explain how you feel.
9. You want to remove those who cause hurts to others.
10. You often wonder why God allows people to suffer.

PERSON NUMBER 5

1. You motivate people to become what you see they could be.
2. You like to give counsel in logical steps of action.
3. You can usually discern a person’s level of spiritual maturity.
4. Enjoy working out projects to help people grow spiritually.
5. You sometimes raise expectations of results prematurely.
6. You dislike teaching which does not give practical direction.
7. You like to see the facial responses of those whom you counsel.
8. You often take “family time” to counsel others.
9. You enjoy giving examples from the lives of others.
10. You soon give up on those who do not follow your counsel.
11. You find it hard to follow through on the project you have started.
12. You identify with people where they are in order to counsel them.

PERSON NUMBER 6

1. You notice the practical needs of others and enjoy meeting them.
2. You enjoy serving to free others for more important things.
3. You are willing to neglect your own work to help others.
4. You sometimes go beyond your physical strength in serving others.
5. You can remember the likes and dislikes of others.
6. You can usually detect ways to serve before anyone else can.
7. You will even use your own funds to get a job done quickly.
8. You do not mind doing jobs by yourself.
9. You do not want public praise, but you do need to feel appreciated.
10. You find it difficult to say “no” to those who ask for help.
11. You like to put “extra touches” on the jobs you do.

PERSON NUMBER 7

1. You are very frugal with money for yourself and your family.
2. You enjoy investing money in the ministries of other people.
3. You have an ability to make money by wise investments.
4. You desire to keep your giving a secret.
5. You react negatively to pressure appeals for money.
6. You like to encourage others to give with your gifts.
7. You want the ministries you support to be as effective as possible.
8. You enjoy giving to needs which other tend to overlook.
9. You sometimes fear that your gift will corrupt those who get them.
10. You desire to give gifts of high quality.
11. You enjoy knowing that your gifts were specific answers to prayer.

Ok, now it is time to tally it up. Please note that some “persons” have more questions than others. This should not raise too much of a problem. First, count the answers and push aside the persons with the most “no’s.”

Now, count the persons with the “yes’s.” Which person has more? Whichever person has more “yes’s,” that is most likely your spiritual gift.
If you have a person with 11 questions and got 10 “yes’s” and then a person with 10 questions and got all 10, in that case, it would be the person that has all “yes’s.”

Person 1 - Teacher
Person 2 - Organizer
Person 3 - Prophet
Person 4 - Mercy
Person 5 - Exhorter
Person 6 - Server
Person 7 - Giver

THIS SERIES IS CONTINUED…