When I was in my mid-twenties, I attended a university in Brisbane, Australia, two hours from where I lived. I had a friend in the city who I’d sometimes stay with to save travelling back and forth on back-to-back uni days. In those few years, my friend and I got really into personality tests. We’d send each other different ones—be it the Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram or the Big 5—and when we’d meet up, we’d get dinner, go for long walks by the Brisbane River and discuss what we had learnt about ourselves. What we thought was true or untrue, whether we felt inspired to change, and so on. One day, we even created our own test.
I know some people are sceptical of personality tests and don’t believe there’s much merit in them. But I’ve found them to be extremely helpful for my personal growth. I haven’t believed every word of them, based my career choices on their results or chosen my relationships accordingly, but they have helped me understand parts of myself better and have highlighted things about myself that I wasn’t aware of.
Different kinds of gifts
The Bible also talks about each of us having gifts. Before Jesus died on the cross, He promised His followers that one day He would return to save humanity. The disciple Peter later encourages Christians to “love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others” (1 Peter 4:8-10).
In this instance, it just says gifts but in other parts of the Bible, it specifically says spiritual gifts. Oftentimes Christians and preachers will talk about these gifts in the context of how they can be implemented within the church building and program. Spiritual gifts may of course be used within those contexts (and some may be more appropriately used there), but they were intended to reach out to the rest of the world too.
What are the gifts?
Throughout the New Testament, many gifts are mentioned including service, teaching, encouragement, leadership, mercy, wisdom, faith, healing, generosity, hospitality, discernment, evangelism and administration (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4). In the various places they are listed, there are some overlaps, but there are also some differences. This suggests that there are many other ways in which God can use us.
What sets them apart?
You might be wondering how spiritual gifts differ from any other skill or ability that we are born with or acquire throughout our lives. Unlike the gifts that are spoken about in personality tests, spiritual gifts are specifically “given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7), or as the New Living Translation puts it, “so that we can help each other”.
It’s true that we all possess gifts of some kind, whether we believe in God or not. But many of us go about using them with mostly ourselves and our direct loved ones in mind. Whether to advance our goals, popularity, employment, acquisition, enjoyment or something else.
For better or worse
For example, let’s look at two contrasting figures. Take Fred Rogers, who was a church minister and host of the TV show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Rogers used his gifts of teaching and wisdom to positively educate children about themselves and the world around them.
Then, there’s Andrew Tate. Tate is a social media personality and “self-proclaimed misogynist”. We could say his gifts are in leadership and though we might argue about how he’s using them, we can’t deny that he has them. In a survey of 30 female Australian teachers, they reported “a sharp increases in sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment in their classrooms, and also identified the explicit influence of Tate on their students’ attitudes and behaviours.” He’s currently facing a legal battle in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape.
This example might be extreme, but there are many people in our own cities and on our TV screens who we could identify as being gifted, but who are using their gifts in a way that is damaging or a disservice to others.
Spiritual gifts differ from other gifts in that they are always about the betterment of others. The apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 13, that love is a virtue that is to characterise the desire for and the exercise of all spiritual gifts. He says, without love, “I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (v10).
“I’m not good at that!”
Another difference between normal gifts and spiritual gifts is spiritual gifts are things we may or may not have a natural ability in. Sometimes God will use our inborn or acquired talents and other times we will find ourselves inclined to do something that feels uncomfortable, difficult or out of our comfort zone.
For example, one of my spiritual gifts is hospitality. By that I don’t just mean inviting people to my house and feeding them. I mean the kind of hospitality that makes people feel welcome and creates a safe space for others. I could say that is a gift I received after deciding to follow God, but when I look over my life, there are clear links. I was raised in a household with an open-door policy. Growing up, our house was always full of kids from the neighbourhood who would pile in after school without parents giving the okay. My parents have always loved having guests over and get excited when people show up unannounced. They will gladly stop what they are doing and give whoever is at the door their full attention.
But, in the last few years, a gift has risen to the surface that makes me feel much more uncomfortable: leadership. This is a gift that has been recognised by others and an area I have come to be more interested in. Had you suggested it a few years ago, I would have freaked out and said, “No thanks, not me.” Leadership is not something that comes naturally. Yet, not only has my desire for those skills grown, but I’ve found myself in the presence of many great leaders who have mentored me and inspired me in that area.
Identifying your gifts
Knowing and being aware of our gifts helps us to focus and be intentional about the ways we can be most helpful to other people. If you’re unsure what your spiritual gifts are, here are some ways you can find out:
There are many spiritual gifts tests online that you can do. They can be helpful, but as with personality tests, the results can differ and aren’t always accurate.
Do some self-reflection. What are you good at? What moves your heart? In what ways do you feel empowered to serve that might not be natural to other people? If you go to church, is there something you’re always itching to do or fix? Sometimes the area in which you find yourself frustrated is the area where you can be of use.
Often other people will be able to identify what gifts you have in a way you mightn’t be able to see yourself. Go to wise people who know you well and ask them what they think your gifts are.
Putting them to use
Reporter Barri Segal wrote an article addressing a poll that Bankrate had done. The poll showed that nearly half of adults (47 per cent) in the United States had gift cards at home, leaving around $US23 billion in value on the table across the nation. This added up to approximately an average of $US187 per person. It’s hard to imagine . . . and when it comes to money we churn at the loss. Yet it reminds me of the gifts we’ve been given, many of which sadly aren’t being used.
The Bible says that spiritual gifts are given to every believer by God to love one another and strengthen others in their faith (Romans 1:11,12). If you don’t yet know God, then exploring your gifts might open up a world of possibilities to you. But irrespective of where you are on your journey, every single one of us has gifts that we can use for the betterment of the world. I hope you don’t let your gifts go to waste like the billions of dollars from unused gift cards, but that you use them to serve, strengthen and care for others. After all, we all want to live in a world where love abounds.