The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
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Christian with <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> evangelism. Is it any wonder that he will feel discouraged and frustrated<br />
and conclude that he is inferior spiritually? This is false guilt. For though we are all to be witnesses,<br />
we all do not have <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> evangelism. And as a result, we are not as fruitful in our evangelistic<br />
efforts as those gifted in that area. Our lack <strong>of</strong> giftedness is nothing to feel guilty about since it is<br />
God who decides how we are to be gifted anyway.<br />
This doesn’t mean that we are fruitless. It merely means that we are not as fruitful in certain<br />
areas (where we are not gifted) as in o<strong>the</strong>rs (where we are gifted). To become knowledgeable <strong>of</strong><br />
this is freeing. No longer do we need to feel guilty about our lack <strong>of</strong> fruitfulness or effectiveness<br />
where God has not gifted us.<br />
This, however, does not mean that we have no responsibility in <strong>the</strong> areas <strong>of</strong> Christian service<br />
where God has not gifted us in a special, supernatural way. As Christians we have all been called to<br />
be His witnesses, just as we all have supernatural gifts given to certain members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> body <strong>of</strong><br />
Christ. <strong>The</strong> gifts God has given to us are to be <strong>the</strong> area(s) <strong>of</strong> ministry in which we are to function to<br />
a greater extent.<br />
Knowing and understanding our giftedness, <strong>the</strong>n, helps us to set priorities so that our gifts can<br />
be used productively. This frees us from discouragement, frustration, insecurity, inferiority and false<br />
guilt as we realize that we are contributing to <strong>the</strong> overall effort <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> body <strong>of</strong> Christ in <strong>the</strong> way we<br />
were meant to be contributing.<br />
When we discover, understand, develop and use our spiritual gifts our spiritual life takes on a<br />
new and freeing dimension. We begin to see in a practical way what <strong>the</strong> Bible has been saying all<br />
along: YOU are important! Important to God, important to God’s people—<strong>the</strong> church—and<br />
important to God’s work—His plan and program.<br />
Understanding your spiritual gifts will go a long way in better understanding God’s will in<br />
your life. Elizabeth O’Connor, a member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Savior in Washington, D.C., a<br />
church known for its effective use <strong>of</strong> spiritual gifts, put it:<br />
“We ask to know <strong>the</strong> will <strong>of</strong> God without guessing that His will is written into<br />
our very beings. We perceive that will happen when we discern our gifts.” 2<br />
Knowing our gifts helps us plug into God’s work. As we discover, develop and use our<br />
spiritual gifts we are released into meaningful service in <strong>the</strong> Kingdom <strong>of</strong> God.