Spirit Given Gifts

Spirit Given Gifts

Go where your gifts are; there you will find God.

Apart from many useful and practical reasons for discerning your gifts, the most profound reason is simply that your gifts are the place where God is closest to you in your life. Go where your gifts are and you will be closer to the source of those gifts – God. Can’t find God in your life? Chances are you haven’t found your true gifts either. And.

Since gifts are always given for a purpose, finding your gifts will also put you closer to God’s purpose for your life.

What is the meaning of life? Find your gifts; use them for the purposes to which God has given them to you; and questions of meaning, purpose and identity will resolve themselves as you discern, use and deepen your gifts.

This site provides 4 resources to help you discern your Spirit Given Gifts:

1. A Questionnaire;
2. Descriptions of 22 Gifts;
3. Suggestions for further exploration of your Gifts; and,
4. Posts below with additional comments and clarifications.

Questionnaire

Thanks to Greg Fetzer the Spirit Given Gifts Questionnaire is on-line. The results are automatically calculated for you. You can then print these and/or email them to yourself or your gifts cousellor. Greg is the pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cockeysville, Maryland. You can access the online questionnaire by clicking here. And check out Greg's personal blog, www.fetz.typepad.com.

Or use the Adobe PDF Questionnaire (see below) to print out and hand-score the Questionnaire to begin discerning your gifts.

Gift Descriptions

Check the left-hand side bar for descriptions of each of the 22 Spirit Given Gifts. Each description gives:

• Scriptural References lists a few key Biblical passages related to this Gift.
• Biblical Models names some people who illustrate this Gift.
• People with this gift can ... lists some of the things people with Gift typically are good at.
• Cautions points out difficulties people with this Gift should watch for.
• Personal Traits describes characteristics of people with this Gift.
• Tips for nurturing this gift offers some suggestions for developing this Gift.
• Possible Tasks suggests ministries where this Gift might be used.
• Not to be confused with the responsibility of all Christians to ... points out that Christians without this Gift must still exercise responsibility in this area.

Or use the 32 page Adobe PDF Gift Description booklet (see below) to print out all of the Spirit Given Gift descriptions.

Suggestions

The Questionnaire is only the beginning of exploring your Gifts.

Talking with others who know you well and / or your Minister or Gifts Counselor will help as well. It will help to explore:

• the differences between related Gifts;
• your personal traits and stage of life;
• Gifts that have been unused; etc.

A guide for exploring these questions is included with the Adobe PDF Questionnaire, or can be opened separately by clicking here.

Spirit Given Gifts Booklet - Questionnaire

Newly revised for 2008, the Questionnaire is now easier to use for new members, and has new questions for "Leadership," adapted from Anna S. Christie, www.evokingchange.ca.

Designed for progressive, "liberal," "mainline" churches, this 12 page Adobe PDF format booklet  contains a 5 page questionnaire that will help you discern your Spirit Given Gifts.

Instructions for completing and scoring the Questionnaire are included as well as some guides for interpreting your results and suggestions for deepening your insights.

The companion booklet, Spirit Given Gift Descriptions should also be downloaded for more detailed explanations and helps.

You will need the latest Adobe Reader to open, save, and print the Questionnaire. You may download this free software by clicking here.

To open the Questionnaire booklet, click here.

Spirit Given Gifts Booklet - Descriptions

This 31 page Adobe PDF booklet contains detailed Descriptions of 22 Spirit Given Gifts.

Each description includes:

• biblical references and people who illustrate the gift;
• typical skills and personality traits;
• tips for development and ministries;
• cautions about mis-use and burn out;
• and a reminder that a gift is not to be confused with the responsibilities that all Christians have.

Each description is on a single page for ease of photocopying.

You will need the latest Adobe Reader to open, save, and print the questionnaire. You may download this free software by clicking here.

To open the descriptions booklet, click here.

Skills versus Gifts

Life requires us to learn many skills. We may become quite good at some of them; have a real talent for them. Receive money and praise for them. And yet, the skill is not our gift.

How to tell the difference. From my own experience, I'd say the main difference is that working hard using my skills leaves me tired and drained, but working hard using my gifts leaves me tired and fulfilled.

As you answer the questionnaire and reflect on your life experience, it is important to ask, "What gives me true inner satisfaction and joy."

When answering the questionnaire, pay attention when the question is about, "I enjoy ..." If you do not actually enjoy the activity, then rate it low even though you may be praised for it and do it often.

Life requires us to learn many skills. We may become quite good at some of them; have a real talent for them. Receive money and praise for them. And yet, the skill is not our gift.

How to tell the difference. From my own experience, I'd say the main difference is that working hard using my skills leaves me tired and drained, but working hard using my gifts leaves me tired and fulfilled.

As you answer the questionnaire and reflect on your life experience, it is important to ask, "What gives me true inner satisfaction and joy."

When answering the questionnaire, pay attention when the question is about, "I enjoy ..." If you do not actually enjoy the activity, then rate it low even though you may be praised for it and do it often.

Praise versus Satisfaction

The questionnaire asks how others see you: "Others tell me ..."

These questions are intended to help you reflect on whether your inner experience matches how others experience you. For example, you may believe yourself to have a gift for Leadership, but if no one ever volunteers to work with you, or never tells you how much they appreciate your leadership, then that would give cause for further reflecting on that gift.

However, there is one more complication. Suppose you often give leadership and are praised for it, but don't really enjoy it - it leaves you tired and drained. This too is cause for further reflection because instead of using a gift for leadership you may be using a well-developed skill. There is an important difference between the two.

Praise from others must be confirmed by your own inner satisfaction. So even if others do often praise you for a gift, if you do not receive satisfaction from it, rate it low in your response.

Character and Personality

Two people with the same gift can have very different characters and personalities. And discerning one's gifts will not change one's personality. So. The tag line - finding your gifts and using them for the purposes for which God gave them will resolve issues of meaning and purpose in your life - has a huge caveat. Namely, issues related to personal history and/or brain chemistry and its impact on your present character and personality will not be resolved simply by discerning your gifts. Other supports will be needed.

Pride and the Inner Critic

Some folks have a hard time with the questionnaire.

They have been raised not to brag about themselves. And so questions that ask them to rate how good they are feel like boasting.

On the other hand, some folks have been raised with an inner critic which is constantly confirming that they are no good at all.

In my view, both of these deny the reality of God's love for, and gifting of everyone. These can be powerful habits of mind and may make it difficult to find a comfortable new self-understanding. However, I do encourage everyone who uses this questionnaire to explore the reality of affirming the gifts that have been uniquely given to you.

Biblical Examples Wanted

The inclusion of Biblical models in each description is meant to give examples of how gifts have actually been used for God's purposes. However this has at least two major short comings:

• women are often not named, and
• both women and men are mostly seen only in very traditional, stereotypical ways.

I'd like to expand the examples given, and invite you to email me with your suggestions. (See the sidebar for my email address.) Thanks for your help.

Inter-active Design

I have been asked if I know of a written questionnaire for those who have low or no reading skills. I don't. Please contact me if you do.

However, with a group of 12 or more participants, I can suggest the following process: