The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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Desire for a gift may well point out the existence of that gift. C. Peter Wagner put it,
"It is the same God who gives spiritual gifts who also oversees the way each one of us
is made up in our total being. God knows every detail of our psychological condition,
our glands and hormones, our metabolism, our total personality. He understands our
feelings perfectly. And He knows that if we enjoy doing a task we do a better job at
than if we do not enjoy it. So part of the plan of God, as I understand it, is to match
the spiritual gift He gives us without feelings in such a way that if we really have a
gift we will feel good using it. This may well be why God reserves the assigning of
spiritual gifts to Himself. All the computers in IBM wouldn't be equipped to do that
for the hundreds of millions of Christians around the world, but it is no problem to
God Almighty." 4
There is no conflict between pleasing God and enjoying yourself. The psalmist testified,
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). Then Paul
adds, "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).
God enables us to want, to will and to carry out God's good purpose. When we do God's will we
will be doing what we want to do.
Why is it so important that we enjoy doing God's will, using His gfits? Because when a person
exercises a ministry, that individual subconsciously communicates the motivation behind the
ministry. If the motivation or attitude is negative, those to whome we minister will perceive that
negative message, and if the attitude is positive, the message that comes across will be positive
and therefore effective.
To examine our feelings, therefore, is important when we experiment with the gifts.
It should be kept in mind however, that the desire for a certain gift does not automatically
guarantee it. The overriding factor is the will of God. The final decision belongs to God who gives
gifts as He chooses (I Cor. 12:11; Heb. 2:4). Strong desire for a certain gift we never discover in
ourselves should make us examine our motives for wanting such a gift. It is of utmost importance
that we place ourselves under the sovereign care and will of God, trusting Him to entrust to us
that gift He desires us to use. For then His desire becomes our desire. The perfect blending of
God's desire with our desire is what God wants.