Spiritual Gifts FAQs #9
Q: How do I use my spiritual gifts of Discernment and Prophecy appropriately, especially in the church? It feels like there is less appreciation for or welcoming of these gifts.
A: You have raised an issue that, in my experience working with hundreds of churches, faith community staff, and congregations, is crucial. I have observed and experienced that we do underappreciate discernment and prophecy gifts, even sometimes to the extent that those with these gifts feel sidelined. Tragically, the sidelining occurs just at the time when these gifts are most needed.
Perhaps that’s because we either don’t understand them or, more likely, these gifts make us uncomfortable. Maybe the fact that one (discernment) can sometimes feel ambiguous and the other (prophecy) is often challenging also makes us squirm. We tend to want certainty. We prize our comfort over being corrected. We don’t really want to receive feedback or be humble. These gifts are usually about correcting pride, giving constructive input, and pointing out when we are becoming separated from God as our first love.
Those with discernment are the first to sense something is amiss. Their gift picks up on cues the rest of us miss—often long before the rest of us suspect anything. Thus, it can be easy to dismiss the comments from the discerning among us—especially since they, at times, can’t put their finger on just what is wrong: A relationship has overstepped important boundaries, something isn’t quite right with financial commitments, a spiritual leader seems dry for a lengthy period without anyone doing anything about it, church staff seem demoralized, congregational involvement in significant ministry/decisions sees a marked decrease, women and other underrepresented groups are marginalized, the marginalized have no voice. When these issues are mentioned by the discerning, comments are often regarded as judgmental, gossipy, “political”, or complaining—when, in fact, God has given these people His radar to pick up behaviors that are trending the wrong direction before they become disastrous. How many of us in faith communities have been blindsided by some leader’s revelation or a church exodus only to have those with the gift of discernment remind us that they had been calling bits and pieces of this to our attention for weeks, months, maybe years?
Those with prophecy are in our midst to remind us of God’s Word, His commands, His expectations, His desires—for us to be faithful, put Him first above all, to reflect His heart for mercy and justice. It is so easy for us to fall into patterns of “I love the Lord AND I trust my bank account,” or “I love God BUT my comfort comes first” or “I don’t have to forgive THEM!" The prophets among us are gifted to call us back to God, to remind us of our need for repentance, to point out our pride before we fall even further into sinful hubris. This news is awkward and uncomfortable to hear, perhaps terribly unpleasant. It is information that is essential, though, for our growth and development toward maturity in Christ. We ignore these warnings to our spiritual peril.
Like all gifts, discernment and prophecy are to be motivated by and used in love (1 Corinthians 13). Delivery of whatever message comes from God is to have care, concern, mercy, and compassion on the hearers. However, often, no matter how lovingly these gifted ones speak to us, we are predisposed to not hear it—to cower in self-preservation, not realizing that their messages to us are meant by God for our good and for the health of our community—the Body of Christ—of which Jesus is the Head.
(For more on gifts, check out the Resources page at GodGiftsYou.com. Take the free assessment and see what gifts God has bestowed on you to contribute to the whole.)
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Equipping Ministries Director at her church since 1999.
Photo (c) Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.