What Is Your Favorite Spiritual Gift?
Christmas is full of gifts. We feel the need to buy gifts for family, friends, hair stylists, teachers, postal workers, neighbors, co-workers, and more. We spend countless hours driving to stores to pick out the perfect gift, scrolling through websites for inspiration and deals, and writing shopping lists and checking them twice. Over these next three weeks you can take a break from all that and focus on gifts you have received. God has blessed you with some of the most important and precious gifts you will ever receive. Take a deep breath this Christmas season and receive these gifts with open arms.
Have you ever said to yourself, “I have no spiritual gifts, how can God use me in His kingdom?” I used to say the same thing to myself. I knew in my heart that wasn’t true because God equips all His children with gifts. I learned this by watching my parents as a child. They did a Bible study that helped you determine your spiritual gifts. After they participated in the study, they felt compelled to lead it with multiple groups in our church. I heard them talking about this study often and heard about the different gifts God equips us with. Gifts such as wisdom, healing, prophecy, teaching, miracles, speaking of tongues, discernment of spirits, and many more. I had no idea what some of those meant let alone think I had any of those gifts. Many of those gifts felt like a huge responsibility to carry. My perfectionist mentality said, “I am not going to admit if I have one of these gifts because the second I say it out loud, I will be expected to live it out daily.” The thought of having to be wise, or prophecy, or speak in tongues, or even discern spirits day in and day out sounded exhausting to me. I didn’t understand spiritual gifts and I truly thought that God skipped me when He was dividing the gifts out the month I was born.
I was overcomplicating spiritual gifts. I thought that I needed to have a distinct moment when I received my gift and that it would be clear as to what that gift was. When that never happened, I assumed I never received a gift. I’m not saying that moment does not happen for individuals. Some know early on in their lives what God has called them to do. Others are late bloomers like me. Here is what I have learned through my years of searching for my spiritual gift and finally realizing it was there all along; our spiritual gifts can be hidden in what we think are simply talents or hobbies.
Each person has a different gift. They may have the same category of gift, but it is displayed differently to the world. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them the same God at work.” We all are gifted with different talents and abilities, but what matters is how we use the gifts we are given. For example, if you have are a natural born leader and you only use this talent to lead others by belittling them, putting others below yourself, or leading others into evil practices, you are not using your gift spiritually. Our gifts may seem worldly and superficial, but when we are obedient to Christ and go where He leads us our gifts from God will be clearly visible. The purpose of our gifts is to build up Christ’s body, the church. We were not accidentally born with a certain gift; it was strategically placed in us so that we can serve God as we exercise this gift.
God is completely involved in the giving of our gifts, the using, and the empowering of how our gift is effective in the world. Our gifts have their best work when we are surrendered to God, and we allow Him to lead and empower us as we use them. So, examine your life. What are you good at? I am good at organizing and I think strategically. I never thought those gifts could be used to better God’s kingdom until I was obedient to Him and began to teach and write. He clearly showed me that organizational skills, planning, and strategic thinking all worked together as I planned my devotions, books, and teachings. What I thought was earthly abilities turned out to be spiritual gifts from God. As you look at your life, your talents, abilities, where others ask your help, what you find as a hobby, or what seems to come natural to you, begin to look at how you are using them for service to God. Is He calling you to something that these gifts could be used in? It could be something at your workplace, in your own home, or in your local church. He may not be calling you to reach the world and spread the gospel to thousands of people with your gifts, He may need you right where you are. We see in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 that each gift is different, but they are all equally important.
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
As I listen to the Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy”, I am reminded that my gift does not have to be elaborate or fancy, it simply needs to be my best. The drummer boy had nothing worthy to offer his King except his talent, playing the snare drum. He played his drum for his Lord even though the gift was considered small to the world’s standards. Whatever God has gifted you with remember it was His gift in the first place; surrender it back to Him and see the remarkable things He can do with it through you. Our King, Jesus Christ, is worthy to receive only our best no matter what our best is. Bow before Him and offer Him your gift this Christmas season.