Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

Min. Angela Lee Price

"According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:  If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one's faith; if service, in services; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness" Romans 12: 6-8 (HCSB).

Often on Fridays, I say, "T.G.I.F., Thank God I'm Forgiven and It's Friday!" I teach Spiritual Gifts at church, and often in class, I will use, or my teachers will us, the acronym "TGIF" as an icebreaker by asking members to unscramble it to form new words, phrases, and sentences, sort of like they use to do on Soul Train. This exercise helps each person to understand that they have at least one "GIFT," and they "FIT IT," because they are "GIFT-IT" of God to do the work that He has called them to do (Ephesians 4:7-8).

What type of church worker are you?  Do you like working out front leading in worship, teaching Sunday school or preaching the gospel, or behind the scenes in the kitchen, in children's ministry, or driving the church van?  One thing is for sure.  God has given you at least one spiritual gift, and He doesn't want you to sit on it.  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would not have preached so many powerful sermons, lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, nor the Marched On Washington, had he drove the church van. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie would not have become the first female bishop of the AME church had she sang in the choir.  Mahalia Jackson would not have become one of the nation's first nationally recognized gospel artists, nor would she have sang for hundreds of thousands of civil rights supporters at the March on Washington had she simply remained on her pew Sunday after Sunday.  There are some things that are not going to happen until you get busy, and not only  that, but find your proper place in  ministry.  

If you are not sure where you fit in, Take a Spiritual Gifts Test at MinTools.com. This assessment measures for the seven spiritual gifts found in Romans 12: 6-8, prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy.  It is 35 questions. Let me quickly say, that there are longer assessments measuring more gifts, and there is a longer one measuring more gifts on the MinTools.com website, so just use this particular assessment as a starting point to discovering your spiritual gifts.  For example, if your strongest gifts are service, giving, or mercy, you could be a behind the scenes worker.  If your strongest gifts are teaching, leadership, and exhortation, more than likely you are not a behind the scenes worker.  You are probably a take-charge person who loves to teach and encourage.  Again, just use this as a starting point for exploring your gifts.

I have used the MinTools.com website previously in teaching spiritual gifts.  It is a great resource.  Be sure to check out the links on the left of the page, especially the FAQ.

If you live in the Louisville area, you are welcome to join us at St. Stephen Church on Saturdays from 12 Noon-2:30 p.m. for our Spiritual Gifts class.  We provide an brief overview to the subject, measure 20 spiritual gifts, and help you make ministry choices.

Related Posts:
To Forgive Or Not To Forgive?  That Is The Question
Are You Sitting On the Premises Or Standing On the Promises?
Clean On the Inside, Clean On the Outside
Turn Your Bad Friday Into Good Friday
Get In Where You Fit In!

Source:  African-American Religious Leaders, by Nathan Aaseng

Jesus Saves Ministries, celebrating Black History Month, and five years of lifting up Jesus Christ!  Join our social network, start a discussion or comment on any post and you will automatically be included in our weekly drawings for books by and about people of color and gospel music CD's by your favorite artists. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" James 1:17.

To Forgive Or Not To Forgive?, That Is the Question

By: Min. Angela Lee Price

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny" (Matthew 5:23-26 NIV).

Often on Fridays, I tweet, "T.G.I.F., Thank God I'm Forgiven (And It's Friday)! I teach Spiritual Gifts at church, and often in Spiritual Gifts class, I will use the acromyn "TGIF" as an icebreaker by asking members to unscramble it to form new words, phrases, and sentences. This exercise helps each person to understand that they have at least one "GIFT," and they "FIT IT," because they are "GIFT-IT" of God to do the work that He has called them to do (Ephesians 4:7-8).

The whole discussion of forgiveness is important because the Bible places forgiveness above or before giftedness, "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

It is sad to see gifted people at odds with each other in the church. What is worse is to see bickering parties continue their anomosity for years, even decades. However, the Bible says not only is there a frequency within which we are to forgive, seven times seventy (Matt. 18:21), but that there is a timeframe within which we are to forgive, "quickly" (v 25). We should do everything we can to resolve our differences often and to settle them out of court, Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge (v 25).

To Forgive or not to forgive?, that is the question. Jesus forgave the unfaithful wife of her sin (John 8:7). Will you forgive someone in your life of their sin? Have we truly forgiven white America for 400 years of oppression? Unforgiveness can cause us to be bound when we stand before Judge Hatchett, Judge Mathis, Judge Judy, or Judge Joe Brown! Forgiveness, brothers and sisters, keeps us out of Divorce Court, The People's Court, the court of public opinion, and most importantly, it keeps us out of God's court where the devil and his demons stand ready to accuse.

If you have something against someone, choose to forgive them and then bring your gifts to God or, "the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny" (v26).

Today, I want to share with you an example of what Jesus can do for us when we choose to forgive. The following is a comment left on one of my blogposts, Jesus Saves Gangsters, Too, at http://www.jesussavesministries.blogspot.com/ in December 2009.

Anonymous said...

I would like to share my experience, strength and hope with another person. I was shot point blank in the back of the head by my cousin, AND JESUS SAVED ME. I am able to function normally. I have had no serious side affects as a result of this. I not only over came the injury but after 10 years I am able to say through the help of Jesus I forgave my cousin for trying to kill me.

Monday, 07 December, 2009

Jesus Saves Ministries said...

Your statement is a testimony to the power of Almighty God! Thank you so much for sharing it. It has blessed me and I have sent it on to others to bless them too. Forgiveness takes the offender off your hook and puts him on God's hook where he belongs. Praise be to God for the conviction he gave you to forgive. The world would be a better place if only we could forgive one another.

God bless you!

Thursday, 10 December, 2009