Service Through Your Spiritual Gifts
Read 2 Timothy 1:6-7.
Introduction
A spiritual gift is just that…a gift. It is a God-given ability, distributed to individuals by the Holy Spirit that allows a person to work through their lives to help the church implement its mission on earth. The primary purpose of Spiritual gifts is to build up the church. Spiritual gifts can be found in three separate passages of Scripture in the New Testament. They are found in: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians12-14, and Ephesians 4. The lists are not identical. Some overlapping does occur.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11, NIV).
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. …
- To one there is given … the message of wisdom,
- to another the message of knowledge …
- to another faith by the same Spirit,
- to another gifts of healing …,
- to another miraculous powers,
- to another prophecy,
- to another distinguishing between spirits,
- to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,
- and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines”.
(Ephesians 4:11, 12, NIV).
“It was He [Jesus] who gave
- some to be apostles,
- some to be prophets,
- some to be evangelists,
- and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
(Romans 12:6-8, NRSV “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us:
- prophecy, in proportion to faith;
- ministry, in ministering;
- the teacher, in teaching;
- the exhorter, in exhortation;
- the giver, in generosity;
- the leader, in diligence;
- the compassionate, in cheerfulness”
Program Ideas
To effectively utilize spiritual gifts, it is essential to align the use of these gifts within the church as well as the community at large. Here are some practical suggestions:
- Have Women take a free Spiritual Gift Assessment. Here are a couple of options.
Spiritual Gifts | FREE Spiritual Gifts Survey | Assessment, Analysis, Test (churchgrowth.org)
FREE Spiritual Gifts Test | Assessment, Analysis, Quiz… (myspiritualgifts.com)
- Establish a Community Resource Center within your Women’s Ministry. Create a center where individuals can volunteer based on their spiritual gifts. For instance, if a woman has the gift of teaching, ask her to do an educational program.
- Organize Skill-Based Volunteer Projects: Develop volunteer projects that align with individuals’ spiritual gifts. For example, a person with the gift of wisdom might lead a financial literacy program, while those with the gift of encouragement could be the card sergeant responsible for sending cards to those women who miss a meeting.
- Create Support Networks: Establish networks to support groups such as the elderly, homeless, or refugees. Individuals with gifts of healing, faith, and mercy could coordinate medical assistance, emotional support, and practical aid.
- Recognize your Women’s Ministry: Encourage and model a culture of service within the Women’s Ministry. Give examples of how spiritual gifts are being used for the common good. Recognizing and celebrating the contributions of those who use their gifts in service can inspire others to engage and contribute. Be sure to recognize those women who may not necessarily be in a leadership role such as the piano player or the individual who stays behind to help clean up after a meeting.
Expanded Definitions
While many different spiritual gifts are discussed in Scripture, here a few highlighted ones.
Teaching: If this is your gift, you will have the ability to make Biblical truth plain for others. You may use your gift as a mentor, a Sunday School teacher, a youth leader, or a small-group Bible study leader.
Evangelism: Perhaps you have the gift of sharing the gospel and leading people to commit their lives to Jesus. You have a passion to see others commit their lives to Jesus. You may use this gift in preaching and public evangelism, personal ministries, in giving seminars, speaking at women’s retreats, or ministering in prisons. Just sharing your personal story of what Christ as done for you, is also evangelism.
Hospitality: This is where many women excel! You may just have a knack for making everyone around you feel at ease and welcomed. It may also involve making people feel welcomed and comfortable in your church or Women’s Ministry.
Intercession: Some women have the unique gift of being able to devote much time to praying for others. A woman with this gift may pray quietly for others at home, or she may minister as a hospital visitor, or the leader of a prayer group.
Encouragement: This is such an important gift. Every church needs more encouragers—women who can comfort, motivate, and inspire others. An encourager may serve in counseling, women’s ministries, youth ministry, prison ministry or hospital visitation.
Leadership: A leader can bring growth and harmony to a group or congregation. With this gift, you might serve as a pastor, lay leader, Sunday School superintendent, youth ministries or women’s ministries leader.
What Is My Spiritual Gift?
The idea of spiritual gifts and specifically the “gifts from the Holy Spirit,” really comes from the main teachings found in the New Testament. Essentially, these gifts are special abilities that the Holy Spirit gives to believers in Jesus Christ. The purpose is to help each person play their unique role within the Church, the body of Christ.
Everyone who receives Christ as their personal savior receives at least one spiritual gift. That means all of us are necessary to body of Christ. We are all created with a purpose. The aim of each Christian ought to be to find out what God’s design and purpose is for our lives. Remember, the Holy Spirit gives out gifts as he sees fit. In other words, be careful not to compare yourself to others and covet the gifts they’ve been given. Seek out and develop how God has uniquely gifted you.
Recently I heard a quote about the difference between wisdom and knowledge. “Wisdom is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that you don’t put them in a fruit salad.” Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 to “… fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For this Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Suggested prayer choruses from the Hallelujah Chorus series.
HC # 91 “Fan the Flame”
HC # 79 “God in You”
HC #30 “All That I Am”
