Mercy: Spiritual Gifts Definitions, Scriptures, and Ways to Serve

[If you have not already done so, please take a moment now to take this free spiritual gifts assessment. Once you have your results, come back to this and the corresponding 22 blog posts for a detailed description of each of the gifts, focusing on your own as well as becoming familiar with all of them so you can spot and call them out in others.]

Mercy

People who exhibit compassion, concern, care, and kindness are likely those with the God-given gift of Mercy. People with this gift gently come alongside others who are in pain, in need, or are lonely. God’s grace and love is shown in practical ways through this gift. The mercy gift is one of comfort, support, and presence with those who are suffering, in crisis, or otherwise hurting. Those with this gift reach out to others who are broken, having themselves experienced God in their own brokenness. They show God’s heart to those who need the empathy of a listening ear and human company.

Scriptures that reference Mercy or show someone exhibiting this gift:

Matthew 5; Matthew 9 & 20; Matthew 15; Mark 5 & Luke 18; Mark 10 (Jesus); Luke 10 (Good Samaritan); Romans 12; Hebrews 13.

Questions on the assessment that pertain to Mercy:

• Comforting those who are suffering comes naturally to me.

• My automatic response when someone is hurting is to come alongside and offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.

• People describe me as compassionate and empathic.

Some words that describe people with this gift:

• Caring

• Compassionate

• Loving

• Approachable

• Kind

• Gentle

Potential negatives to this gift:

• Can wear out if there are no boundaries or limits on commitments that demand lots of energy and resources.

• May not see this as a unique gift they have, assuming all in the Body of Christ think and act as they do.

• Can be taken advantage of by those who are not needy but are manipulative and seek out those who are most empathic.

Some possible ways to serve using this gift:

• Deacon

• Counselor/counseling ministry/mentor

• Hospital visitation/prison ministry/victim advocate

• Nursery/preschool teacher/assistant/Sunday School teacher

• Stephen Minister

• Ministry to seniors

• Pregnancy center work

• Anywhere there are people in need—family, friends, neighbors, co-workers

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 hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping and overseer of Local Missions at her church.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.

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