Spiritual Gifts—Seen in Scripture, Rooted in Jesus, Empowered by the Spirit

A spiritual gift is defined by Scripture (see 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4; Ephesians 4) as a unique ability given by God through His Holy Spirit to believers in Jesus—for the purpose of bringing glory to Him and strengthening His church. In addition, spiritual gifts are recognized and affirmed by the Body of Christ, and we see them evidenced in the life of Jesus and ministry of the early church.

There are twenty-three gifts mentioned or implied in the Bible (give or take). ALL are essential to the healthy functioning of the church. ALL need to be exercised in a spirit of love. ALL are given to individual Jesus-followers so that they might glorify God and strengthen the Body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are how God has equipped us to serve Him. God-given gifts make a far greater impact than simply using your own talents and abilities. For further study about gifts, take a look at Romans 12-13, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 2 and 4. 

Spiritual giftedness is rooted in faith in Jesus. At Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter says “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” God calls us to Himself, we acknowledge our need for Him and come to Him in humility and repentance, receiving His forgiveness and the promise of new life. That new life reflects God’s call on the whole of ourselves, and we respond in gratitude and service to Him and to others. God does not simply call us to a life of generosity; He enables us to carry out His call through use of the gifts He gives us. As He promises in Hebrews 13:20-21, He will equip us “with everything good for doing His will.” And, Peter adds that as we do His will, we are using our gifts, individually and collectively “to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

I hope that this free spiritual gifts assessment helps you not only identify your God-given giftedness, but also starts you on (or helps you continue on) the journey of living into those gifts and further developing and using them. I hope this journey also results in you learning how to better affirm and embrace the gifts of others, especially those you don’t have!

The following 23 blog posts take each of the gifts in turn, providing a brief definition, Scriptures that reference that gift or show someone exhibiting it, assessment questions for that gift, words that describe people with the gift, potential negatives for the gift, and some possible ways to serve using that gift.

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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