I’d planned to write this a long while back, after taking a quiz on spiritual gifts and thinking about my results. I recently re-took one of those quizzes, which reminded me to go ahead and get my thoughts written down. So, here you go!
There was a time when I felt as if my gifts were less significant than others’. I felt that because I didn’t have the overly “spiritual” ones, my strengths weren’t worth as much as someone else’s. Example: I’ve always scored lower on things like evangelism, apostleship, or prophecy. My highest scores tend to be in administration and hospitality.
And even though I enjoy and value these attributes in my life, I felt like I must be inferior to those with the gifts that I deemed more interesting.
But there were a few things wrong with that perspective.
Firstly, who am I to say to God that He gave me the wrong set of gifts? That in uniquely designing me to fulfill His purpose for my life, He made a mistake somewhere?
God alone knows the path my life is going to take, and the things He’s preparing me to do. He’s equipping me with just the right experiences, skills, and desires that I need for each season I enter.
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker – an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?” (Isaiah 45:9 NASB)
Secondly, there’s strength in diversity. Because of the unique gifts I’ve been given, I’m able to fill a need that someone else can’t. And in whatever areas I fall short, there’ll be other uniquely gifted people to fill my lack.
Really reaping the benefit of this diversity requires humility and a willingness to be vulnerable with others. If I try to be all things at all times, I will fail. But if I’m willing to admit my limitations, that opens up an opportunity for God to overcome my inadequacies – maybe by providing the specific person that He’s been preparing behind the scenes to meet that need.
And, none of us were meant to be in competition with each other. We were designed for the same purpose, and we’re part of the same family of God. We’re all striving for the end goal of being faithful to Him in whatever He’s called us to do. This means each of our gifts, our paths, and our callings will look different; yet none of these are less valuable than another.
The more I try to be someone else, to mimic their gifts or their calling, the further I stray from fulfilling the unique role I was called to play. Until I learn to value the path God has set out for me, how can I faithfully follow it?
“And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” (1 Corinthians 12:16-18 NASB)
And finally, we must come to an understanding of the source of our gifts. The spiritual gifts that we receive are given to us by God, and out of God. They are reflections of who He is. In using the gift of wisdom, one can reflect the God who created the earth by His wisdom. By living out the gift of service, one can step into the shoes of the Servant who washed His disciples’ feet.
So what does that mean for someone like me, who scores high on the “boring” gifts, such as administration? It means that in my ability to plan, schedule, and coordinate, I can more fully appreciate the God who has had a plan for salvation from the very beginning, who schedules each step in perfect timing, and who sovereignly holds all things together.
When I read the Bible I see prophecies that are fulfilled even to the smallest degree. I notice the rich symbolism scattered so precisely throughout Scripture. I think about how out of nothing, God designed our bodies and world to operate in mind-blowingly complex ways.
In all of this, I stand in awe of God’s incredible attention to detail. Witnessing the depth of God’s creativity and organization amazes me, and I love to see these attributes of His.
So, why wouldn’t I value the opportunity to reflect His character in administrative ways? By recognizing my spiritual gifts as given to me by the one who possesses them in fullest measure, I’m reminded to treat everything I do – even the small, seemingly mundane things – as acts of worship.
Plus, I want to be a good steward of everything God has given me – whether that be my money, my relationships, or my skills and abilities. I need to be intentional about how well I’m valuing and using what I’ve been given.
Whatever your gifts are, understand that God has given them to you of Himself. You have an opportunity to know Him more deeply and worship Him more fully, by valuing and exercising the gifts that came from Him.
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children;” (Ephesians 5:1)
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…” (Colossians 3:23 NASB)
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'” (Matthew 25:21 NASB)
It’s been really valuable for me to reflect on my gifts and consider how they impact the ways I view myself, others, and God. I absolutely encourage you to take a spiritual gifts quiz and then to look for ways you see your results reflected in the character of God.
As you do, understand that the gifts He’s given you may shift as you step into different seasons of your life. But in every season, He’s giving you exactly what you need to serve Him faithfully.
Give yourself grace when your strengths, calling, and abilities don’t look like someone else’s. God didn’t ask you to be more like them; He asked you to be more like Him.
And then, worship Him by stepping out and using those gifts however He’s calling you to. View everything you do – from the exciting to the routine – as an opportunity to faithfully steward what He’s given you.
Related Scripture
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it.
But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”
1 Corinthians 12:5-25 NASB
The Girl that Jesus Loved 