Day 105

Spiritual Gifts

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant" 1 Corinthians 12:1.

I had heard about spiritual gifts all my life but never really decided what mine was.  As our key passage today says we should not be ignorant of our gifts.  So years ago I got hold of the book, "Designed for Fulfillment" by Charles R. Wade, Jr.  At that time I began to realize the importance of operating in our gifts but didn't know what mine was.  Knowing and operating in that gift gives us freedom to be who God designed us to be.

The book has a check list for the characteristics of each gift.  Most people can resonate with one gift in particular but can have more than one.  Of course we all use each of the gifts at times because we all are teachers, exhorters, or extend mercy and all the other's as the situation requires.  It is just that we usually identify with one gift more strongly then another and it is referred to as our dominant gift.

Learning this is also helpful in how we look at other people, and why they act or react the way they do. It will also change and affect the way I interact with God, myself, and others. Just like our love languages are different so are our gifts.  It is interesting to discover the characteristics of each gift and discover the reason people respond the way they do.  Helps you to be more tolerant of them and vice versa.  

It has also helps me to place volunteers in a position that utilizes their gifts and allows them to find their comfort zone.  We are all a lot more productive operating from our dominant gift.  Our gifts also benefit others as we work together and complement the others as we serve side by side.

It is funny but as I studied the gifts I could tell my friends a lot quicker what their's were but it took me a long time to ponder and finally pin point mine.  Along with the strengths of the gift I discovered there are weaknesses and when I read mine it was accurate.  It also gives you a Biblical character who also had that particular gift.  

One of the quotes from the book is:  "Fulfillment comes when we use all the abilities that God gave us and know that we are doing exactly what our Father designed for us.  Fulfillment comes when we are walking in our unique design and fully developing the resources that God has placed within us".

If you don't know your spiritual gift will you chose to no longer be ignorant.  If you know your gift are you using it to it's full potential for the glory of the Lord?  If not won't you make the change today so you can be free to be who God made you to be?