You have been praying to discern your spiritual gifts. You have read and meditated on the verses in the Bible regarding the gifts. Perhaps you have used our online Spiritual Gifts Assessment tool to point you in the right direction. And now you feel strongly that you have discovered one or more of your spiritual gifts. Now what? How does the application of the spiritual gifts work?
God + Others
When the spiritual gifts truly begin to manifest in a person, your faith is at a point where you are moving from a “God + Me” state of faith to more of a “God + Others”. Your faith is much more than just rational thought or awareness of God. You have a keen awareness of Christ being at the center of your faith and the consequences not knowing Him. The death of Christ is the only means of redeeming humanity from eternal death. You understand that your past sins have been pardoned not by the good works you do but because of Jesus Christ.
When you heart changes so does your perspective. Good deeds and works are done because of your faith, not in order to gain favor with God. You understand that no amount of good deeds that you do will provide any sort of salvation. The salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. With this knowledge you have compassion for others and are moved to do good works in His name. That is the difference.
James 2:14-16 illustrates this point.
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:14-26 NIV
The manifestation of the spiritual gifts within you are a clear sign of this change in your faith journey. God provides you with a means to follow the longing in your heart to help your fellow man. It’s an activation of your faith on a higher level. Your spiritual senses are activated and directed to their proper purpose through faith. The application of the spiritual gifts in your daily life is the next step.
Still not sure what your gifts might be? Take our free online assessment now and start your journey.
Love is the Fuel
Love is the fuel of this newfound spiritual awareness and use of the spiritual gifts. Paul writes of love’s connection with the gifts in 1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV
3 Guideposts of Application
Consider these 3 guideposts in the application of the spiritual gifts:
Pray for Guidance
God has provided you with a spiritual gift for a specific purpose. The only way you are going to know how to use that gift is if he provides you with that answer. Earnest prayer asking God to reveal his purpose is the first and most important step.
Look for Opportunities
Keep your spiritual gift(s) forefront in your mind in your daily lives. Look for ways that you can apply your gift to assist others. Remember that the body of Christ is four walls of a church building. The body of Christ is a living, breathing organism representing all that follow Him. Do not limit your use of the gifts to only your local congregation.
Opportunities will Present Themselves
I have found in my own experience and in the experience of others that opportunities to use your gifts will manifest regularly in your lives. There are probably opportunities right in front of your eyes that you did not see before the gifts manifested in your faith journey. Keep an open mind and expect opportunities to arise.
Share Your Experiences
Please share your thoughts in the comments below on how the gifts are manifesting in your life and faith journey. Help others learn from your experiences.
Thank you!
