The Bible tells us that all Christians are equipped by the Lord with a spiritual gift. This gift is a divine enabling, by the operation of the Holy Spirit working through the believer, in order to do something unique; to perform a certain function within the Church community. In other words, God equips Christians so that they can serve the church and be useful to others around them. This essay will be different then most of my other essays, as this essay will speak to the reader as though he/she is a Christian. If you’re reading this and you’re not a Christian, you can still glean a lot of insight from what the Bible says about this fascinating topic. Additionally, if you’re not a Christian, I encourage you to consider picking up the Bible and discovering for yourself how much God loves you, knows you, and desires for you to enter into a life-changing love relationship with Him. A relationship with Jesus is the greatest decision a person can make! Going forward in this essay, however, I’ll be writing as though I’m speaking to a follower of Jesus Christ.
Before any architect decides to build a building, he first has a plan in mind of how the structure is to be used. In other words, no architect constructs a building and then asks himself, “Hmm. Now what should I use this building for?” In the same way, God did not make you only to then ask Himself, “What will I do with this person?” You were built with a purpose in mind. God wants to achieve a certain type of ministry through you, a specific objective that God has equipped you to fulfill. We call this your SHAPE, and it’s up to you to discover your SHAPE. Once you do, life becomes more purposeful and satisfying because you’re useful to God’s kingdom as you were intended to be. So, do you know your ministry sweet spot, and are you actively serving within it? This essay aims to help you understand the spiritual gifts spoken of in the Bible, to help Christians identify where they might be gifted, and to help Christians better understand their SHAPE. The acronym SHAPE was created by the Saddleback Church ministry in Saddleback, California.
S = Spiritual Gifts. God gives each Christian a spiritual gift at the time they become a Christian.
H = Heart. God has given you passion for certain things.
A = Abilities. God has given you natural talents and abilities.
P = Personality. God has given you a unique personality and temperament.
E = Experiences. God has placed experiences in your life to help mold you for ministry.
Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you are using your GIFTS, your HEART’S DESIRE, and your ABILITIES, in a way that best expresses your PERSONALITY and EXPERIENCE.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:1, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.” That word “unaware” doesn’t mean unintelligent, but rather uninformed; there’s a difference. If we are uninformed, we will miss out on the wonderful gifts God has for us! You might ask, “Where are spiritual gifts listed in the Bible?” Below are five significant passages that speak of spiritual gifts, but there are other scriptures beyond these. It’s important to know that the Bible doesn’t lock us into a fixed number of spiritual gifts, nor does it rigidly provide their definitions.
Romans 12:6-8, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11, “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.”
1 Corinthians 12:27-28, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”
Ephesians 4:11-12, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
1 Peter 4:9-11, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Throughout the scriptures we can pull together at least 26 spiritual gifts. While all of these mentioned in this list are a divine enabling by the Lord, being worked through a believer, not all of these are listed among the giftings for the Church that we see mentioned in the New Testament epistles: letters from the Apostles.
| Administration | Healing | Missions |
| Apostleship | Helping | Music |
| Craftsmanship | Hospitality | Pastoring |
| Deliverance/Exorcism | Intercession | Prophecy |
| Discernment | Interpretation (Dreams/Visions) | Teaching |
| Encouragement/Exhortation | Knowledge | Tongues – Interpretation |
| Evangelism | Leadership | Tongues – Speaking |
| Faith | Mercy | Wisdom |
| Giving | Miracles |
Below we’ll explore each of these gifts, and we’ll group them into the following six unique categories.
Gifts to EQUIP God’s people.
Gifts to EXPLAIN God’s truth.
Gifts to ENABLE God’s work.
Gifts to ESTABLISH God’s authority.
Gifts to EXPRESS God’s love.
Gifts to EXALT God’s presence.
Gifts to EQUIP God’s People – Apostleship, Evangelism, Faith, and Missions.
Apostleship: the special ability whereby the Spirit enabled certain Christians to start new churches and oversee their development. They would often reach an unreached area, make disciples, and develop a stable church locally. The word apostle means one sent with authority. These believers were perhaps the biggest risk takers for the ministry, as apostleship often resulted in severe persecution unto death. One of the requirements of apostleship was that you had to have seen the risen Jesus; an eye-witness to the resurrection (Acts 1:22, 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, Galatians 1:15-16), which negates this as a gift today. Since the Apostle Paul, who appeared to be the last of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:7-9) there have been countless ministers, like missionaries for example, but none that ought to be called apostles, despite these ministers having been sent out with God’s authority. The reason we don’t call these later ministers apostles is that none of them have the degree of authority that God gave the original apostles, whose teachings stand in the New Testament. All other ministers sent with God’s authority must defer to the New Testament teachings of the original Biblical apostles. We see this gift in Acts 14:21-27 and Romans 15:20.
Evangelism: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to recognize and seize opportunities to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to unbelievers in a way that clearly articulates the need and inspires the desire for salvation. A Christian with this gift has a particularly active heart for the lost; turning everyday conversations to spiritual ones. This person may be introverted, but still powerfully and effectively employs this gift. We see this gift in Acts 8:26-40.
Faith: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to have extraordinary confidence in God’s Word, promises, and presence, to visualize what God wants to accomplish, and the ability to take difficult stands amidst opposition. This believer has a conviction driven by an urgent and higher calling, but also a special ability to meet adverse circumstances with trust in God. We see this gift in 1 Corinthians 13:2, and Hebrews 11.
Missions: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to adapt to a different culture in order to build the Church. This believer has a heart for certain people of a different ethnicity, culture, language. This gifting doesn’t necessarily require one to travel overseas. We see this gift in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 and Acts 13:1-3.
Gifts to EXPLAIN God’s Truth – Exhortation, Knowledge, Interpretation, Prophecy, Teaching, and Wisdom.
Exhortation/Encouragement: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to stand beside Christians in need, to bring counsel and comfort, and to motivate them to apply and act on Biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. This believer has the ability to bring out the best in others and to challenge them to develop their potential. These believers are often great counselors; positive, practical, motivating, and action oriented. We see this gift in Acts 11:23-24, 14:21-22.
Knowledge: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to discover, collect, analyze, and organize information, and to understand it in an exceptional way, for the purpose of making it relevant to specific situations in the Church. These believers desire to comprehend a large amount of information and provide it when needed for effective decision-making. They don’t mind data collecting and research. This is someone who is all about getting the facts. In some cases, this believer might receive insight or understanding of circumstances, situations, problems, or a body of facts by revelation; this is, without assistance by any human resource but solely by divine aid. We see this gift in Daniel 1:17 and Ephesians 3:14-19.
Interpretation (Dreams/Visions): the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to make sense of dreams and visions. We see this gift in Genesis 40 and Daniel 2.
Prophecy: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to preach in a manner of proclamation, heralding, and calling out. This is not the kind of prophecy as seen by the prophets who came before Jesus, of whom John the Baptist was the final prophet (Luke 16:16, Matthew 11:13). The New Testament gift of prophecy is a preaching gift (different than the gift of teaching) and is marked by challenging and persuading unbelievers, as well as motivating Christians. This does not create infallible preaching; in our humanity we can still be fallible (able to make an error) in how we perceive the Word, think about it, and speak it. In all preaching, we’re to test it against the infallible scripture. Additionally, prophecy can entail a revelatory word that the Spirit spontaneously brings to one’s mind. We see this gift in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 30-33, 37-40.
Teaching: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn, and that equips and trains other believers for ministry. Many of these believers think in lists, and are very organized. A person without the gift of teaching may be asked to teach on a subject, because of their expertise, but they may struggle to hold people’s attention or make them understand. Someone gifted with teaching draws people in while making things known and applicable. We see this gift in Ephesians 4:11-13.
Wisdom: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to apply knowledge to a particular circumstance; to understand God’s perspective on life situations, and share those insights in an understandable way with the Church. This type of application of knowledge is a gift that cannot be gained through study or experience and should by no means try to replace them. Believers with this gifting often provide insight into relationships, have a desire to memorize and share God’s Word, display patience and understanding, and are good mediators. We see this gifting in 1 Corinthians 2:1, 6-16.
Gifts to ENABLE God’s Work – Administration, Discernment, Giving, Intercession, and Leadership.
Administration: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to clearly understand the immediate and long-range goals of a particular portion of the Church’s ministry, and to devise and execute effective plans to accomplish those goals. These believers are never dictatorial, but are organized, focused, responsible, goal-oriented, and systematic. We see this gift in Acts 15:12-21.
Discernment: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, and, based on God’s Word, this person can gauge if a spiritual instruction or teaching is of God, self, or Satan. This is not mind reading, psychic phenomena, or the ability to criticize and find fault. This believer can quickly know, “That’s wrong” with regards to so many false ideas out there. The Bible is still needed here, of course. We see this gift in 1 John 4:1-6 and Acts 5:3-6, 16:16-18.
Giving: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to generously contribute material resources above and beyond so that the Church may grow and be strengthened. This can include extraordinary financial earnings and money management abilities so it may be given to support the ministry. This believer enjoys the ideas of, “Take my coat”, “Use my car”, or, “We’ll pay for them to go.” These believers are happy/fulfilled to provide these things. We see this gift in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.
Intercession: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to pray regularly and for extended periods of time and with great positive effect. This believer persists in prayer without discouragement. We see this gift in Colossians 1:9-12 and 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13.
Leadership: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to set and communicate goals for kingdom purposes, in such a way that others are motivated to voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals. This believer is not necessarily an administrative person, but rather a captain or commander, who may need to delegate to a strongly gifted team. This believer is all about vision casting and can rally the troops. We see this gift in Hebrews 13:7 and Exodus 18:13-23.
Gifts to ESTABLISH God’s Authority – Deliverance, Healing, Miracles, Tongues, and Interpretation.
Deliverance/Exorcism: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to have authority over the demonic. We believe that the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers, has authority over unclean spirits, but some Christians are effective and display a specific ability in helping people gain freedom from spiritual oppression from Satan. We see this gift in Acts 5:16, 19:11-16.
Healing: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to heal without human aid; to see healing come about through prayer alone. When sick, these are the ones called upon. God doesn’t heal everyone these people pray for, and people with this gift know that. We see this gift in James 5:13-16 and Luke 9:1-2.
Miracles: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to sense when they are to pray in faith for God to work supernaturally in seemingly impossible situations. This could be demonstrated in God working a miracle through this individual, or by the prayers of this individual. We see this gift in 1 Corinthians 12:10.
Tongues: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to utter a language that is unknown to the speaker and the immediate audience; for the purpose of confirming that a message is from the Lord. Tongues is a language that is known somewhere else in the world, as seen in Acts 2:6-11. Unless interpretation is provided by one with the gift of interpretation, the utterance is useless. Sadly, this gifting is often abused, and can be easily manipulated by Satan when not done in accordance to 1 Corinthians 14.
Interpretation: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to verbalize and subsequently interpret the speaking of tongues. We see this gift in 1 Corinthians 14:1-33.
Gifts to EXPRESS God’s Love – Helping, Hospitality, Mercy, and Pastoring.
Helping/Service: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to willingly bear the burdens of other Christians and to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition. This believer is not arrogant, and doesn’t have to be asked. We see this gift in Acts 6:1-7.
Hospitality: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to make others, even strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable. This includes coordinating factors that promote fellowship, like opening one’s home and serving food. This gift is not the same as entertaining; as hospitality may be long term, costlier, and more sacrificial. No matter how the house looks, these believers make you comfortable, relaxed. These believers are great greeters, and are good talkers. We see this gift in 1 Peter 4:9-10, and Genesis 18:1-8.
Mercy: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to detect hurt and empathize with those who are suffering in the church family. This involves providing compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain. This believer enjoys and is great at calling and visiting, or things like hospital and shut-in ministry. This is a good Samaritan type. We see this gift in Luke 10:30-37.
Pastoring “Shepherding”: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for ministry. To nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare. Interestingly enough, not all pastors have the gift of shepherding; maybe they have the gift of prophecy or teaching instead. Those with the gift of pastor/shepherd make great small group leaders; people who love to do follow-up and pursue or stay in touch with individuals. We see this gift in 1 Peter 5:2-4.
Gifts to EXALT God’s Presence – Craftsmanship and Music.
Craftsmanship: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to build, beautify, and maintain something for God’s glory. These believers can express worship through a variety of art forms. We see this gift in Exodus 28, 31:3-11.
Music: the special ability whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to celebrate God’s presence through voice or instrument, and to lead and enhance others in corporate worship. We see this gift in Psalm 150, and 1 Corinthians 14:26.
Truths about Spiritual Gifts
- A Spiritual gift is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to every believer at their conversion.
- 1 Corinthians 12:7, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:7, “each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.”
- Only Christians have spiritual gifts.
- Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
- Don’t confuse gifts with natural talents.
- A great painter doesn’t have the spiritual gift of art, nor an architect the gift of architecture.
- Talents have to do with techniques and methods; gifts have to do with spiritual abilities.
- Talents depend on natural ability; spiritual gifts depend on spiritual endowment.
- Don’t confuse gifts with personality traits.
- A personality test (like, Myers-Briggs), does not tell you what your spiritual gift is.
- Your personality though, does provide a unique way to express your gifting; if you’re outgoing, that will be to your strength as you express your gifting with others. If you’re introverted, your personality will complement your gifting as well; they’re not in competition.
- Don’t confuse gifts with Christian roles.
- All Christians are to give, but not all have the gift of giving.
- All Christians are to be hospitable, but not all have the gift of hospitality.
- All Christians are to evangelize, but not all have the gift of evangelism. And so on.
- Don’t confuse gifts with the Fruit of the Spirit.
- Fruit shows that we’re abiding in Christ; shows maturity and God’s character revealed through us.
- Fruits reveal character, gifts reveal ministry purpose.
- Spiritual gifts are for the benefit of others.
- 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
- Spiritual gifts are to produce maturity and stability in our church family.
- Ephesians 4:11-13, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
- Using our gifts helps others stay connected and helps us see God’s work in others first hand.
- Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift.
- 1 Corinthians 7:7, “Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.”
- No one receives all the gifts.
- 1 Corinthians 12:27-30, “You are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?”
- No single gift is given to everyone.
- 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?”
- I can’t earn or work for a spiritual gift.
- Ephesians 4:7, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
- The Holy Spirit decides what gift I get.
- 1 Corinthians 12:11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
- Spiritual gifts are permanent.
- Romans 11:29, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
- I am to discover the gift God has given me.
- It’s easier to discover your gift through doing ministry than to discover your ministry through learning about your gift. You don’t know your gifts by just going through a list, but lists provide understanding about what gifts are out there.
- I am to develop the gift(s) God has given me.
- 1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.”
- It is a sin to waste the gift(s) that God has given me.
- 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
- Beware of “gift projecting”; expecting others to serve the way I do and have similar results.
- Example, “I’m hospitable, why aren’t all others? It’s so enjoyable and Christlike!”
- Example, “I have the gift of administration. I don’t understand why others are disorganized! It’s so easy to be organized!”
- Don’t compare gifts with levels of significance.
- 1 Corinthians 12:21, “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.”
- Our goal should be to aspire to serve in whatever way God has endowed us, not being driven by ambition to achieve what we think are great goals.
- Don’t let some more prominent gifts create a false sense that other gifts are not equally significant.
- Satan distracts Christians away from their true gifting by making them desire gifts they don’t have, and waste time and energy pursuing areas they aren’t suited for. If we compare ourselves to others who have more visible gifts, we feel less significant.
- Spiritual gifts without love, are worthless.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
- Recognize that I have a primary and a secondary ministry in my church.
- My primary ministry is in the area of my spiritual gifting.
- My secondary ministry is in the area of where I’m needed.
- Titus 3:14, “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”
- Spiritual Gifts don’t necessarily point you toward a career, but rather a commissioning.
How do I discover and maximize my spiritual gift(s)?
- Study Scripture on Giftings – Read what the scriptures say about spiritual gifts.
- Take a gift Assessment – There are many online. The more in depth the test, the better it will be at directing you. A spiritual gift assessment is provided for you at the end of this essay.
- Trial and Error – Experiment with different areas of service within the church.
- Get Feedback – Talk to those that know you and ask them what gifts they see demonstrated in you.
- Develop Your Gift(s) – Take advantage of opportunities to receive training regarding your gift(s).
What is my S.H.A.P.E.?
We just looked at spiritual gifts, the “S” in SHAPE. Now let’s look at the rest of our SHAPE. Next is the heart.
HEART – What am I passionate about?
God’s given you a unique passion for activities and subjects, and He wants you to use that heart in ministry. Occasionally a Christian might say, “I’m just not feeling any particular passion towards anything. How can I address that?” The Bible says in Psalm 37:4-5, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” Verse 4 means that as you find your delight and satisfaction in the Lord, He gives you desires and passions that you didn’t have previously. In short, He changes your interests, your “want to.” Verse 5 goes on to add that as you obey the Lord by committing your way to Him, those desires start to become realized. In short, you start praying for the things He places on your heart, and those prayers are answered because they align with His will. Additionally, Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord.” The contributions that God has equipped you to make, will align with the passions that He has given you for His kingdom work.
Your spiritual gift is what you are. Your heart helps you determine where you might best use your gifting. Heart is where you are centered, where you desire to serve, the altar upon which you place your talents.
What does your passion look like? Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to help identify some passions in your heart. What motivates you to act? For example, what is it, that every time it comes up in conversation or on T.V., you perk up? Maybe it’s a cause, or a type of person, or a hobby that you think you can turn into a ministry. If you followed your dreams, how would your day, week, or month change? Another question is, what are needs in others that you love to meet? By “needs” I don’t mean, “I’d love to be able to buy my friends their dream car!” More practically speaking, I’m referring to a person who loves to make meals for families that have little means, or collect donated coats for kids.
What is it that, whenever you hear about it, you stop and pray over it, and wish you could engage it? Or, what would you attempt for God if you had unlimited resources? Perhaps you’ve ever thought, “I’d start a ministry for run-away teens if I had the money.” Or, “I’d start that ministry if I only had a bigger car.” What continues to bring excitement to your spirit no matter what stage of life you’re in? You might realize that your heart is always drawn toward the elderly. Or you might think, “No matter how old I get, I get excited to garden. I’d love to turn that into a ministry!” The key here is to not ask yourself, “How.” The “how” is God’s department! God’s just looking for you to become available to pursue the passions He’s placed on your heart. Of course, not every desire in your heart reflects God’s will. Romans 7-8 tells us we wrestle against our flesh. Sometimes a desire for comfort, success, and personal glory displaces a passion for God’s glory.
Here are some ways to further help you discover your passions. Take some time to go through an exercise that identifies passions throughout your life; highlighting the things you were motivated to accomplish and things you believed you were good at.
STEP 1 – List and describe your major accomplishments since childhood
- As a teenager, the things I did well and enjoyed doing were…
- In my 20’s the things I did well and enjoyed doing were…
- In my 30’s the things I did well and enjoyed doing were…
- Since my 40th birthday, the things I did well and enjoyed doing are…
STEP 2 – Identify a basic heartbeat
Every one of these points mentioned below can be used in effective ministry. Don’t be embarrassed to identify a basic heartbeat that doesn’t seem “spiritual”. See which of these seems to fit you well. You should be able to support your choice with examples from your achievements in step one. Overall, you should be able to hone in on a description below and it can indicate how you might love to use your spiritual gift.
- Design and Develop – I love to make things out of nothing; getting something started from scratch.
- Pioneer – I love to test out and try new concepts. I am not afraid to risk failure.
- Organizer – I love to bring order out of chaos. I enjoy organizing something that is already started.
- Manage and Maintain – I love to efficiently maintain some things that are already organized.
- Service or Help – I love to assist others in their responsibilities. I enjoy helping others succeed.
- Acquire and Possess – I love to shop, collect, or obtain things. I enjoy getting the highest quality for the best price.
- Excel – I love to be the best & make my team the best. I enjoy setting & attaining the highest standard.
- Influence – I love to convert people to my way of thinking; shaping the attitudes & behaviors of others.
- Perform – I love to be on stage and receive the attention from others. I enjoy being in the limelight.
- Improve – I love making things better. I enjoy taking something that someone else has designed/started and improve it.
- Repair – I love to fix what is broken or change what is out of date.
- Lead – I love to lead the way, oversee, and supervise. I enjoy determining how things will be done.
- Persevere – I love to see things to completion. I enjoy persisting at something until it is finished.
- Follow the Rules – I love to operate by policies and procedures. I enjoy meeting the expectations of my boss/team.
- Prevail – I love to fight for what is right and oppose what is wrong. I enjoy overcoming injustice.
So, the point is to find one or two of these. You might conclude, “My heart is that I’m really a PIONEER…I think I’d really love venture out with a new type of ministry for single parents.” After you focus in on one or two passions, you might consider requesting help from others. What people might be good resources who can help you clarify what you are discovering about yourself? In other words, who in your life can you bounce things off of that can affirm your heart’s desires and help aim you in a positive direction? And most importantly, respond in faith. This means to take action, trusting that God will direct your passions to a satisfying ministry for Him. Identify two action steps you can take to let your heart beat for God. For example, you might say, “By Saturday I’m going to call or write a letter and set a time to talk with…” Or, “I’m going to work into my budget $100 a month for…” These are measurable action steps that get the ball rolling.
We just looked at HEART, the “H” in SHAPE. Now let’s look at the rest of our SHAPE. Next is ABILITIES.
ABILITIES – How do I discover my special abilities?
God can use your natural abilities in every season of your life. The key is to be available and aware, and it doesn’t matter if you’re noticed by others; that’s not the point. Abilities are indicators/clues for what God wants you to do with your life. Throughout your life you’ll discover things that you naturally do well; things that make work more like play. When opportunities to do these things arise, they energize and excite you. Others may even comment that you make doing it look easy. As you think about particular abilities you have, the idea is not to boost your ego, but to examine how God can be glorified by how He’s made you.
The 19th century preacher Andrew Murray said, “I have a pen in my pocket. The pen is surrendered to its purpose of writing. It must be surrendered to my hand if I am to write with it properly. If someone else has a partial hold of it, I cannot write with it.” If we hold back natural abilities, or resign them to the distraction of fleshly things, those talents will not be used for their full capacity. Each of us has common talents that come most natural to us. Consider ones that come most natural to you.
- Entertaining – to perform, act, dance, speak, or sing.
- Recruiting – to enlist and motivate people to get involved.
- Interview – to discover what others are really like.
- Researching – to read, gather information, collect data.
- Artistic – to conceptualize, picture, draw, paint, photograph, or make renderings.
- Graphics – to lay out, design, create visual displays or banners.
- Evaluating – to analyze data and draw conclusions.
- Planning – to strategize, design, and organize programs and events.
- Managing – to supervise people to accomplish a task or event and coordinate the details involved.
- Counseling – to listen, encourage, and guide with sensitivity.
- Teaching – to explain, train, demonstrate, tutor.
- Writing – to write articles, letters, books.
- Editing – to proofread or rewrite.
- Promoting – to advertise or promote events and activities.
- Repairing – to fix, restore, maintain.
- Feeding – to create meals for large or small groups.
- Recall – to remember or recall names and faces.
- Mechanical Operating – to operate equipment, tools, or machinery.
- Resourceful – to search out and find inexpensive materials or resources needed.
- Counting – to work with numbers, data, or money.
- Classifying – to systematize and file books, data, records, and materials so they can be retrieved easily.
- Public Relations – to handle complaints and unhappy customers with care and courtesy.
- Welcoming – to convey warmth, develop rapport, make others feel comfortable.
- Composing – to write music or lyrics.
- Landscaping – to do gardening and work with plants.
- Decorating – to beautify a setting for a special event.
- Analyzing – investigating, probing, and evaluating.
- Building – constructing, making, and assembling.
- Coaching – training, equipping, and developing.
- Communication – sharing, imparting teaching.
- Competing – contending, striving, and winning.
- Coordinating – planning and organizing.
- Directing – managing, supervising.
- Encouraging – to inspire and support.
- Landscaping – garden, plant, and improve.
- Learning – study, understanding, and discovery.
- Recruiting – enlisting and engaging.
- Hospitality – welcoming, greeting, entertaining.
- Graphic Arts – designing, drawing, and layout.
- Electronics – computers and technology.
As you identify your natural abilities, ask yourself, “Am I using my abilities for giving, or for getting? God, how can I use my natural abilities to minister for you, to build your kingdom?” Perhaps you’re thinking, “When it comes to my natural ability, I’m not that good at it. My abilities aren’t good enough to do anything too significant.” Remember, significant achievements always involve a high degree of courage, focus, perseverance, and risk. Consider Shamgar, a judge of Israel who delivered the Israelites from the Philistines. In Judges 3:31 it says, “Shamgar struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.” An ox goad is simply a pointy stick used to poke the ox to move it along. You’re abilities are given to you so that you can do what you can, with what you have, right where you are, with every chance you get!
As you consider your abilities, request help from others; who can be a resource that can help you clarify what you are discovering about your abilities? As stated before, respond in faith; identify two action steps you can take in the next month to magnify God by your abilities.
We just looked at ABILITIES, the “A” in SHAPE. Now let’s look at the rest of our SHAPE. Next is PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY – How does my temperament relate to others and circumstances?
One might ask, “My personality is not one that’s going to make me very visible. Does that mean I’m less valuable?” The world places worth on externals like prestige, position, wealth, etc. God places greater value on less visible aspects of our lives. Just as the Lord gave you unique spiritual gifts, passions, and abilities, your personality is also a gift! Experts try to explain personalities by categorizing them into a cluster of four traits. Some use animal names like beaver, otter, retriever, and lion. Others use words like popular, powerful, perfect, and peaceful. Personality tests and assessments have value, but can be limited and generalized. In short, there’s no right or wrong personality for ministry.
There are perhaps two main focuses to help unfold your personality profile. First, how you relate to others; understanding that God didn’t create others to please you, nor you to please others, but rather us to please Him. Second, how you respond to opportunities; understanding how you react to various situations will help you make the best choices going forward.
In each horizontal row, consider where you would place an “X” in one of the boxes. Make sure you’re honest with yourself. Don’t put an “X” where you think it should go. There’s no correct answer anyway. When completed, you’ll be able to get a sense of where you tend to lean, and subsequently, you might see where your personality might compliment a teammate or work-partner with opposite traits.
This first chart highlights how you relate to others.
Extreme <—————————————————————————–> Extreme
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Extroverted – You get energy from being around people | ||||||
| Cooperative – You find it easy to trust others and fit in | ||||||
| Self-Controlled – You keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself | ||||||
| People-Pleaser – You make sure everyone is feeling okay with you | ||||||
| Introverted – You get energy from being alone | ||||||
| Competitive – You like to challenge the status quo and compete | ||||||
| Self-Expressive – You are open with your thoughts and feelings | ||||||
| Assertive – You carry on without the approval of others |
This chart highlights how you relate to opportunities.
Extreme <—————————————————————————-> Extreme
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Adventurous – You enjoy risk, adventure, and challenge | ||||||
| People Focused – You enjoy working with and around people | ||||||
| Follow – You like supporting others to achieve a task | ||||||
| Team – You enjoy depending on others to achieve things | ||||||
| Fast-Paced – You like settings with speed, energy, and activation | ||||||
| Routine – You enjoy predictability, stability, and schedules | ||||||
| Thinker – You make decisions based on facts, reason, and logic | ||||||
| Risk Adverse – You enjoy security and certainty, and avoid risk | ||||||
| Task Focused – You enjoy working alone to finish tasks and projects | ||||||
| Lead – You enjoy setting direction, pace, and expectations | ||||||
| Individual – You prefer working alone or in small groups | ||||||
| Relaxed – You like setting that are methodical and deliberate | ||||||
| Variety – You like variety, spontaneity, and change | ||||||
| Feeler – You make decisions based on feeling and intuition |
In order to fulfill your kingdom purpose, you will need to embrace ministry opportunities that are in alignment with how God created you. Fulfillment lies in finding a ministry that allows you to express the most of who and how God has wired you. Be true to who God’s made you to be, don’t try to be someone else! 2 things to note. First, it’s true, each of us can work outside our own personality pattern for a while. We may need to venture outside of our personality profile in order to better discover our full personality type. But, continuing to stay outside of our own personality style, i.e. trying to be someone we’re not, is ineffective for God. There are not wrong people in life, only the right people doing the wrong things. Second, God doesn’t want us to be labeled as a personality type. While there are similarities among people of a same personality type, this doesn’t explain everything about you or anyone else. Personality types do however help us better understand ourselves and others, and better direct us to a ministry that may best suite us.
Again, it’s good to consider requesting help from others. Who are resources that can help you clarify what you are discovering about your personality? And, respond in faith; identify two action steps you can take in the next month that maximize your personality for His kingdom purposes.
EXPERIENCE – Your past victories, pain, and disappointments are part of your ministry equation.
Your experiences are meant to draw you to the Lord, produce character, and prepare you to better minister to others. As a jail chaplain, I’ve been told by people, “I’ve never spent time in jail, so I’m not sure I’d be a good minister to inmates.” I’m always quick to respond, “That’s not how ministry works. I’ve never been arrested, but jailtime isn’t what qualifies me to minister to inmates.” Here’s the point, Satan wants you to think you have a limited range of people you’re qualify to minister to. For example, people in Canada don’t require Canadians to minister to them. God may ask you to minister to people you might think you have nothing in common with. All people have plenty in common; we are all sinners in need of a Savior in Jesus Christ.
Despite each of us having different experiences in life, Christians have the same message and the same Spirit! You might have a more wild past then someone else, and that’s okay. Don’t believe the enemies lies that suggest you’re unfit for ministry. For example, you might think, “I’ve been divorced three times, I’m not fit to minister.” This isn’t true. Living in unrepentant sin will disqualify you from ministry, but no amount of sin in your past can disqualify you from ministry once you’re surrendered to Jesus. Consider the Apostle Paul; who hunted and killed Christians before turning in faith to Jesus. God used him to minister powerfully!
Exercise #1 – You’ll want to get some scratch paper for this. Start by thinking about any wonderful and fulfilling experiences you have had. These are the victories in life. Give yourself permission to claim achievements that brought you great levels of satisfaction, regardless of what others might think of them. Write down some things (a word or short statement) that come to your mind under each category.
- Personal achievements –
- Vocational achievements –
- Relational achievements –
- Educational achievements –
- Spiritual achievements –
Exercise #2– Now, take a painful walk through the disappointing chapters of your life. These chapters are just as much a part of God’s story in your life, as were the victories. God wants to use your pain to enable you to minister to others. Every crisis in your life can be a catalyst for Christ! Life lessons often teach us to remain Spirit-filled and steady in Christ as life tries to beat us down. Do you relate to any of the painful experiences listed below? If so, they are opportunities for ministry. Make a note of the scenarios that have impacted you.
| Divorce | Cancer | Addiction | Abandonment |
| Abuse | Depression | Miscarriage | Grief |
| Death | Job Loss | Suicide attempts | Failure |
| Humiliation | Bankruptcy | Abortion | Death of a child |
| Alcoholism | Eating Disorder | Adultery | Rejection |
| Sickness | Loneliness | Tragedy | Other… |
God sees your life from beginning to end. He leads you through “storms” at age thirty so you can endure a “hurricane” at age sixty. God has placed a multitude of experiences in your life to help mold you for ministry. He can, and will, use the experiences in your background to help heal the hurts of others in His Church and in your sphere of influence.
Here’s the key, your experiences, positive and negative, can be fully used for the benefit of others and for His glory, but only after you’ve let go of the hold these experiences have had on your life. If negative experiences loom heavy, remember God’s Word to us in Philippians 3:13-14, “…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Pray a prayer like, “God, I know You want to use my past for Your glory. I’m not sure how You’ll do that, but I’m available, all of my story is Yours to use!” The opposite can be true as well, in that we can become emotionally parked on past positive victories from long ago, and not move forward from them. It’s time to get back on your feet and be ready for what’s next. Hebrews 12 uses language that encourages us to always be about the pursuit of a kingdom purpose, “make every effort,” and, “fix your eyes on Jesus,” and “run with endurance the race that is set out before us.” If you find you overly emphasize past victories, consider praying a prayer like, “God, help me to live humbly when I consider the victories You’ve given me. I’m available today to be used by You. Minister through me, Lord!”
Some Exercises Relating to Your Experiences
- If you can’t think of any lessons from your victories and hurts, ask God to reveal them to you.
- List some ways that your experiences might be used to help someone else.
- Learn to prepare how to talk to others about your experiences. For example, when someone asks, “Don’t you wish you’d never experienced that pain?” you can be ready to share how God has used your experiences to make you the person you are today. Share about abiding in Him and being used by Him for His glory, and being better equipped to empathize with others in pain. Or, when someone asks you about your failures, you might reply, “I’ve learned not to be ashamed to own my own mistakes. I’m wiser today than I was yesterday. My mistakes compelled me to become dependent on Jesus.” Or, if someone asks about how you coped with emotional trauma in your past, you might consider replying, “I use my past on a daily basis to help others. I don’t think I would be as grateful to the Lord, or as surrendered to Him, if all my emotional needs were met when I was younger.”
Request help from others; who can be a resource to help you clarify what you are discovering about your experiences? What have you learned about God, given what you’ve experienced? Have you discovered that there is purpose in your past? Lastly, again, respond in faith; what are two action steps can you take in the next month to use your pain for God’s glory?
Engaging in serious thought about your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences, will begin to expose your unique and awesome SHAPE. By entrusting yourself to be used by God, you’ll become significant to His kingdom work. I know you’ll be satisfied when you serve Him. That’s when real life begins!
SPIRITUAL GIFTS ASSESSMENT
You’ll need a separate sheet of paper for this. Below are 126 questions. You’re going to carefully go through each question and consider a “YES” or “NO” answer for each question. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, only your answers. This isn’t a pass/fail type of assessment. The key to the accuracy of this assessment is your honesty. This means that you need to put the answer that best reflects your heart, not the answer you think you ought to write. For instance, if the question asks, “Do you enjoy visiting people who are in the hospital,” don’t write “YES” just because you think it’s wrong to answer “NO.” Many people don’t enjoy that sort of thing, and that’s okay. The best advice is to answer with your gut feeling. The more you overthink, the more likely you are to talk yourself into an answer that doesn’t accurately reflect you. You don’t need to write down any “NO” answer, only “YES” answers. As you go through the assessment, on your scratch sheet of paper, anytime you have a “YES” answer, write down that question number on your scratch sheet. By the end of the assessment, you should have many question numbers written down (example – 7, 12, 21, 23, 34, 55, etc.). You’ll refer to those numbers later. Instructions are provided at the end of the assessment as to how to evaluate your spiritual findings.
Respond to the following 126 questions.
1. Would you describe yourself as an effective public speaker?
2. Do you find it relatively easy and enjoyable to spend time in an intense study and research of the Bible?
3. Do you enjoy sharing the personal and emotional problems of people?
4. Do you find yourself more concerned with how to apply God’s Word than in simply trying to understand its message?
5. Have you sensed that God has given you a special ability to learn and acquire knowledge concerning His Word?
6. Do you enjoy motivating others to various tasks and ministries?
7. Would other people describe you as a person who makes decisions easily?
8. Do you seem to concentrate more on practical things that need to be done rather than on why they should be done?
9. When you hear of someone who needs help, do you immediately offer your services if it is possible?
10. Would you rather give money to help than to perform some manual task?
11. Do you enjoy visiting people who are sick or disabled?
12. Is your home the kind that most people feel comfortable in and will often drop by to visit with you unannounced?
13. Do you find that you have the ability to believe things that other believers cannot seem to accept or see?
14. Have other believers told you that you always seem to know whether something is right or wrong?
15. When situations are not right, do you feel a burden to speak up about them in order to correct them?
16. Do you love to deal with issues and questions?
17. Have you found that people often seek you out to have your advice about their personal problems?
18. Do you find that you often know immediately what to do in a situation where other believers are not clear as to what should be done?
19. Do you find that people will often come to you with difficult problems and questions from the Bible, seeking your understanding?
20. Do you find yourself setting goals and objectives for yourself and your ministry as a believer?
21. Do you sense a great deal of responsibility to make decisions on behalf of others?
22. Do you usually have a great deal of joy in just “doing things” that need to be done no matter how small or trivial the task?
23. Do you sense a special ministry to help other people become more effective in their work?
24. When you hear of someone in need, do you immediately think of sending them some money?
25. When you hear of someone in the hospital, does it challenge you to bring them some encouragement and cheer?
26. Do you feel that something is really missing in your life when you cannot have guests into your home?
27. When people say that something cannot be done or is impossible, do you feel the burden to believe it and trust God for it?
28. Do you seem to have an understanding of people and their motivations that proves to be correct, even though you do not know them well?
29. Do you have a tendency to speak up when issues are being dealt with in a group, rather than remain silent and listen?
30. When you hear a question or problem, are you anxious to both find and give an answer?
31. Would you prefer to talk personally with someone about their problems rather than to send them to someone else for help?
32. Do people often seek your advice in difficult situations as to what you would do or how you would handle things?
33. In your study of God’s Word, have you observed that new insights and understanding of difficult subjects seem to come to you easily?
34. When someone is not doing a job well, do you feel concerned to help him become more effective in what he is doing?
35. Do you sense a moral responsibility when giving direction and guidance to others, always thinking of how this will affect others?
36. Do you seem to have more satisfaction in doing a task than in what others thought of what you did?
37. Do you see yourself more in a supportive ministry to others than in being in a place of leadership?
38. Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to give your money without hearing any appeals?
39. Do you find it easy to express joy in the presence of those who are suffering physically?
40. Do you love to entertain people in your home regardless of how well you know them?
41. Do you find that you usually feel opposed to anyone who expresses that something cannot be done or accomplished?
42. Do you sense often that what is being said is produced by the devil rather than God, and has your judgment proved to be correct?
43. Have you sensed that people feel conviction about wrong practices or doctrinal error when you share with them what the Bible says?
44. Have people often said to you that you have an ability to explain difficult problems to them, usually giving reasons for what you believe?
45. Do you really get much joy out of encouraging people who are going through personal problems and trials?
46. Do you find that people usually ask what you think about a situation with the belief that you will always know what to do?
47. Have you noticed that you have the ability to understand difficult teachings of God’s Word without a great volume of research and study?
48. Would you rather show someone else how to do a task than to do it yourself?
49. Do you enjoy giving direction to others and making decisions for them?
50. Is it true of you that when you are asked to do a particular task you usually feel no pressure or obligation?
51. Do you feel a special burden to relieve others of their duties in order to free them to do their most important work?
52. Do you find yourself responding immediately to financial needs by giving your money without a great deal of planning?
53. Is it easy for you to talk with those who are suffering physically and to experience response on their part?
54. Do you consider your home to be a real place of ministry to others?
55. Have you discovered that you do not have to wait for clear evidence and direction before you make a decision?
56. Do you find that you often evaluate people and the things they say as to whether it is right or wrong?
57. When you speak God’s Word, do you usually think of how this is going to challenge and motivate those to whom you are speaking?
58. Have people expressed to you how much they appreciate the way you explain things from the Bible?
59. Do you find it easy to deal with people who are depressed or discouraged, experiencing a certain joy in what can be accomplished?
60. Have other believers referred to decisions you have made or advice you have given as being the right thing to do and the best for everyone?
61. Do you seem to understand things about God’s Word that other believers with the same background and experience don’t seem to know?
62. Do you have a special concern to train and disciple other believers to become leaders?
63. Do you find yourself constantly thinking of decisions that need to be made in giving overall direction to a group or organization?
64. Would you rather do a job yourself than work with a group in trying to accomplish it?
65. Do you believe that you would help almost anyone who had a need, if it were possible for you to do so?
66. Do you sense a great deal of joy in giving, regardless of the response of the one to whom you gave?
67. Do you often think of ways to minister and help those who are suffering physically?
68. Would you like to have a regular ministry of entertaining people in your home regardless of who they are?
69. Do you feel that you are able to trust God in difficult circumstances without hesitation or indecision?
70. Do you feel a great responsibility toward God whenever you sense that something is not right which other believers do not seem to understand?
71. Have other believers shared with you that you have the ability to communicate God’s Word with great effectiveness?
72. Do people come to you often, seeking your answers to specific questions or problems from the Bible?
73. Do you sense a great deal of love and compassion for people having personal and emotional problems?
74. When you give your advice to someone, do you seem to emphasize more in the area of “how” it should be done rather than “why” it should be done?
75. Have other believers frequently pointed out to you that you have an ability to know and understand the things of God’s Word?
76. Do you have a special concern for people in helping them to reach their goals and objectives in their lives?
77. Do people seem to depend upon you to make the major decisions for the group or the organization?
78. When you hear of a specific job that needs to be done, are you anxious to do it yourself?
79. Are you satisfied more with how a person has been helped by what you did, than by simply doing it?
80. When you give your money to someone or something, do you usually desire to avoid letting others know what you did?
81. Would you enjoy a regular ministry to those who are suffering physically?
82. Do you look at having people into your home as an exciting ministry more than the fact that you have a responsibility to do this?
83. Have other believers often shared with you that you seem to have the ability to trust God in difficult situations?
84. Have people often asked your opinion of someone or something that has been said as to whether you thought it was right or wrong?
85. Do you believe that you have gifts in communicating to others?
86. Would you rather explain the meaning of a word than simply share a verse by quoting it to someone?
87. Do you usually desire to hear others share their personal problems rather than being able to share yours with someone else?
88. Do other believers seem to follow your advice in difficult situations?
89. Have you found in studying God’s Word that you seem to know what a passage is saying before other believers discover it?
90. Do you usually take the leadership in a group where none exists?
91. Do you usually feel morally responsible for the long-range effects of your decisions?
92. Would you rather do a particular job than spend time talking with people about their problems and needs?
93. When someone asks for your help, do you have great difficulty in saying “No” to that person?
94. When you give some money to someone, do you find that you do not expect any appreciation in return?
95. Do you feel a great deal of compassion toward those who are suffering physically that makes you want to help them in some way?
96. Do you find that you can easily have people into your home without being overly concerned about how it looks?
97. Do you feel a burden to encourage people to trust God when you see them defeated and discouraged?
98. Have you felt a special responsibility to protect the truth of God’s Word by exposing that which is wrong and sinful?
99. Would you rather speak God’s Word to others without much explanation than take the time to explain every detail?
100. Do you usually organize your thoughts in a systematic way?
101. When you hear of some believer who has “sinned” or “fallen away”, are you anxious to go to them immediately and try to help them?
102. Have the decisions and the advice you have given in difficult situations proven to be the right thing to do in most cases?
103. Do you have a great desire to share with other believers what the meaning of a difficult verse or passage is?
104. Do you sense a great deal of joy in a leadership position, rather than frustration and difficulty?
105. Have you had experience in being responsible to make decisions on behalf of a group or organization that would affect everyone?
106. Do you find that you enjoy things that need to be done without being asked to do them?
107. Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to help other people?
108. Do you see the matter of giving money as a tremendous spiritual ministry and one which you believe God has given to you?
109. Do you find that when visiting those who are suffering physically it brings you joy rather than depressing you?
110. Have other believers often referred to your ability to have people in your home and to the way God has used you in this?
111. Have you seen God do mighty things in your life that other believers said could not be done but which you believed He would do?
112. Do you feel that you are helping other believers when you discern that something is wrong, and have they readily accepted your evaluation?
113. When an opportunity is given to you to speak to other believers, do you find that you would rather share verses than to share you personal experiences?
114. Have other believers told you often that you should have a regular teaching ministry and have you felt the same?
115. Do you enjoy a person-to-person ministry more than ministering to a group?
116. Have you sensed a special ability in your life to know what to do when dealing with difficult problems and situations?
117. When you see other believers confused and lacking in understanding about some difficult teaching of the Bible, have you sensed a responsibility to speak to them about what it means?
118. Do you seem to know how to meet people’s needs, goals, and desires without too much study and planning?
119. Do you enjoy being the “final voice” or the one with the overall responsibility for the direction and success of a group or organization?
120. Do you find that it is not necessary for you to have a “job description” when you are asked to do a particular task?
121. Have people often expressed to you how you have helped them in doing a particular job that relieved them of that responsibility in order to do something else?
122. Are you really excited when someone asks you to help financially in some worthwhile project, seeing this as a great honor and privilege?
123. Are you willing and eager to spend time, money, and resources, in order to help those who are suffering physically?
124. Do you find a great joy in having people into your home rather than sensing that it is a burden or responsibility that will entail too much work?
125. Have you discovered an effective prayer ministry in your life with many wonderful answers to prayer that from a human point of view seem impossible or unlikely?
126. Have you often made an evaluation of someone or something that was said
that others did not see, but yet proved to be correct?
Now that your assessment is over, take a moment to thank the Lord for His direction and guidance and ask Him to give you a submissive heart and a humble attitude toward whatever gift(s) He has given you. Also, remember that whatever gift(s) you have, they’ve been given to you the moment you became a believer in Christ.
A good practice to consider is to take this assessment once today, and in a day or two retake it. The reason for this is that your attention, your tiredness, your mood, or how you read the questions might be different, and it can impact how you assess yourself. Then, compare those numbers and see if you’re being true to yourself with how you answer. Additionally, have a loved one who knows you well take the test for you; answering on your behalf. Then compare what they see in you, and see if the same giftings rise to the top. All of these approaches help to highlight usually 1-3 giftings that rise to the top of the list for you.
Discovering your gifts is in part based on your maturity in Christ, your continual use of your gifts, and the effectiveness and joy you experience when using them. Since your humility, maturity, and usage of your gifting changes throughout your life, you will want to review your gifting later by retaking a gift assessment again in the future. Maybe a year or two later, compare those results with what you have today. Again, this doesn’t mean your spiritual gift will change, but how you assess yourself will change, and you may more accurately reveal your true gift(s) down the road.
Your “Yes” answers will serve to help you identify your gift. This will require you to create a chart on the other side of your piece of paper. Write down the following gifts that are reflected in the assessment you just took. You should have something like this on written on your paper –
PROPHECY WISDOM ADMINISTRATION GIVING FAITH
TEACHING KNOWLEDGE SERVING MERCY
EXHORTATION LEADERSHIP HELPS HOSPITALITY DISCERNMENT
Below you’ll see how certain questions coincide with certain gifts. When you look at the numbers that you’ve written down, those numbers which reflect your “YES” answers, then you’ll see where that number coincides with the appropriate gift. For example, if you wrote down #1 (because you answered “YES” on question one), then you’d put a tally mark next to PROPHECY, since PROPHECY is the gifting aligned with that question. Put a tally mark next to the appropriate gifting to indicate all of your “YES” answers. After you put all of your tally marks, you’ll likely see that one has the most, or perhaps 2-3 gifts are at the top. This gives you a sense of where you’re likely gifted. Your sheet might look something like this –
PROPHECY – II WISDOM – II ADMINISTRATION GIVING FAITH – IIIIIIII
TEACHING – IIIIII KNOWLEDGE – IIII SERVING MERCY
EXHORTATION LEADERSHIP – I HELPS HOSPITALITY DISCERNMENT
If this were your assessment, you would conclude that you are likely gifted in FAITH, and TEACHING. Again, as you explore more about faith and teaching, and perhaps begin to use and exercise those gifts, you’ll either find confirmation that you are indeed gifted there, or you’ll perhaps discover that you’re really only gifted in one of those areas. As you serve in one of those areas, others will also be able to confirm in you whether or not they see that strength and gifting. On the next page is the “scoring” sheet.
| PROPHECY | WISDOM | ADMINISTRATION | GIVING | FAITH |
| 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
| 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 27 |
| 29 | 32 | 35 | 38 | 41 |
| 43 | 46 | 49 | 52 | 55 |
| 57 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 69 |
| 71 | 74 | 77 | 80 | 83 |
| 85 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 97 |
| 99 | 102 | 105 | 108 | 111 |
| 113 | 116 | 119 | 122 | 125 |
| TEACHING | KNOWLEDGE | SERVING | MERCY |
| 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 |
| 30 | 33 | 36 | 39 |
| 44 | 47 | 50 | 53 |
| 58 | 61 | 64 | 67 |
| 72 | 75 | 78 | 81 |
| 86 | 89 | 92 | 95 |
| 100 | 103 | 106 | 109 |
| 114 | 117 | 120 | 123 |
| EXHORTATION | LEADERSHIP | HELPS | HOSPITALITY | DISCERNMENT |
| 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| 17 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 28 |
| 31 | 34 | 37 | 40 | 42 |
| 45 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 56 |
| 59 | 62 | 65 | 68 | 70 |
| 73 | 76 | 79 | 82 | 84 |
| 87 | 90 | 93 | 96 | 98 |
| 101 | 104 | 107 | 110 | 112 |
| 115 | 118 | 121 | 124 | 126 |