Discover Your Spiritual Gifts-寻找你的属灵恩赐

Discover Your Spiritual Gifts!

By Gene Wilkes

Ken Hemphill defines a spiritual gift as “an individual manifestation of grace from the Father that enables you to serve Him and thus play a vital role in His plan for the redemption of the world.”1 Peter Wagner defines a spiritual gift as “a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ according to God’s grace for use within the context of the Body.”2 I like to use this definition:

A spiritual gift is an expression of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers which empowers them to

serve the body of Christ, the church.

Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11; and 1 Peter 4:9-11 contain representative lists of gifts and roles God has given to the church. A definition of these gifts follows.3

?Leadership—Leadership aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Leadership motivates people to work together in unity

toward common goals (Rom. 12:8).

?Administration—Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering others to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes

and long-term goals (1 Cor. 12:28).

?Teaching—Teaching is instructing members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).

?Knowledge—The gift of knowledge manifests itself in teaching and training in discipleship. It is the God-given ability to learn, know, and explain the precious truths of God’s Word. A word of

knowledge is a Spirit-revealed truth (1 Cor. 12:28).

?Wisdom—Wisdom is the gift that discerns the work of the Holy Spirit in the body and applies His teachings and actions to the needs of the body (1 Cor. 12:28).

?Prophecy—The gift of prophecy is proclaiming the Word of God boldly. This builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin. Prophecy manifests itself in preaching and teaching (1

Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).

?Discernment—Discernment aids the body by recognizing the true intentions of those within or related to the body. Discernment tests the message and actions of others for the protection

and well-being of the body (1 Cor. 12:10).

?Exhortation—Possessors of this gift encourage members to be involved in and enthusiastic about the work of the Lord. Members with this gift are good counselors and motivate others to

service. Exhortation exhibits itself in preaching, teaching, and ministry (Rom. 12:8).

?Shepherding—The gif t of shepherding is manifested in persons who look out for the spiritual welfare of others. Although pastors, like shepherds, do care for members of the church, this

gift is not limited to a pastor or staff member (Eph. 4:11).

?Faith—Faith trusts God to work beyond the human capabilities of the people. Believers with this gift encourage others to trust in God in the face of apparently insurmountable odds (1 Cor.

12:9).

?Evangelism—God gifts his church with evangelists to lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically. This gift builds up the body by adding new members to its fellowship (Eph.

4:11).

?Apostleship—The church sends apostles from the body to plant churches or be missionaries.

Apostles motivate the body to look beyond its walls in order to carry out the Great Commission

(1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).

?Service/Helps—Those with the gift of service/helps recognize practical needs in the body and joyfully give assistance to meeting those needs. Christians with this gift do not mind working

behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7).

?Mercy—Cheerful acts of compassion characterize those with the gift of mercy. Persons with this gift aid the body by empathizing with hurting members. They keep the body healthy and

unified by keeping others aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).

?Giving—Members with the gift of giving give freely and joyfully to the work and mission of the body. Cheerfulness and liberality are characteristics of individuals with this gift (Rom. 12:8).

?Hospitality—Those with this gift have the ability to make visitors, guests, and strangers feel at ease. They often use their home to entertain guests. Persons with this gift integrate new

members into the body (1 Pet. 4:9).

God has gifted you with an expression of His Holy Spirit to support His vision and mission of the church. It is a worldwide vision to reach all people with the gospel of Christ. As a servant leader, God desires that you know how He has gifted you. This will lead you to where He would have you serve as part of His vision and mission for the church.

Gene Wilkes is pastor of the Legacy Drive Baptist Church, Plano, Texas. This article was adapted from Jesus on Leadership by Gene Wilkes (LifeWay Christian Resources 1998).

1 Ken Hemphill, Serving God: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts Workbook (Dallas: The Sampson Company, 1995), 22. This product is distributed by and available from LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, and may be purchased by calling toll free 1-800-458-2772.

2Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow by C. Peter Wagner, Copyright ? 1979, Regal Books, Ventura, CA 93003. Used by permission, 42.

3 These definitions exclude the “sign gifts” because of some confusion that accompanies these gifts and because they are difficult to fit into ministries within a typical church’s ministry base.

S PIRITUAL G IFTS S URVEY

D IRECTIONS

This is not a test, so there are no wrong answers. The Spiritual Gifts Survey consists of 80 statements. Some items reflect concrete actions; other items are descriptive traits; and still others are statements of belief.

?Select the one response you feel best characterizes yourself and place that number in the blank provided. Record your answer in the blank beside each item.

?Do not spend too much time on any one item. Remember, it is not a test. Usually your immediate response is best.

?Please give an answer for each item. Do not skip any items.

?Do not ask others how they are answering or how they think you should answer.

?Work at your own pace.

Your response choices are:

5—Highly characteristic of me/definitely true for me

4—Most of the time this would describe me/be true for me

3—Frequently characteristic of me/true for me–about 50 percent of the time

2—Occasionally characteristic of me/true for me–about 25 percent of the time

1—Not at all characteristic of me/definitely untrue for me

______ 10. I have delivered God’s message of warning and judgment.

or planning to help.

pain, fear, and anger.

am able to communicate vision in such a way that others commit to making the vision a reality.

me to speak out.

a group.

decisions.

Lord and His salvation.

things.

encouragement, and counseling. ministries.

experiences.

effective in their ministries.

situation seem impossible.

S CORING Y OUR S URVEY

Follow these directions to figure your score for each spiritual gift.

1. Place in each box your numerical response (1-5) to the item number which is indicated

below the box.

2. For each gift, add the numbers in the boxes and put the total in the TOTAL box.

G RAPHING Y OUR P ROFILE

1. For each gift place a mark across the bar at the point that corresponds to your TOTAL for

that gift.

2. For each gift shade the bar below the mark that you have drawn.

3. The resultant graph gives a picture of your gifts. Gifts for which the bars are tall are the ones

in which you appear to be strongest. Gifts for which the bars are very short are the ones in which you appear not to be strong.

Now that you have completed the survey, thoughtfully answer the following questions.

1. 2. 3.

? ? to prayer and worship, seeking wisdom and opportunities to use the gifts I have received from God.

Ask God to help you know how He has gifted you for service and how you can begin to use this gift in ministry to others.