October 22: 1 Corinthians 10-16

"To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another
the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the
same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another
miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between
spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another
the interpretation of tongues." 1 Corinthians 8-10

Chapter 12 of Paul's letter to Corinth talks about Spiritual Gifts. This is only one of the places in the Bible where Paul provides a list of spiritual gifts (the others are Romans 12:3-8 and Ephesians. 4:11-12). Paul wanted people to recognize their spiritual gifts and use them to strengthen and build up the church.

Several Spiritual Gift Inventories have been developed to help today's Christians discover their own gifts. Here is one online version. Team Ministry also has a free online version for individual users. Crossroads Church has a printable PDF version that you could use if you want your Small Group to complete the questionnaire. Many others can be found by searching the internet for "Spiritual Gifts Inventory", etc.

The test that my Small Group took a year or two ago is called the "Wagner-Modified Houts Questionnaire". The instrument was developed by Dr. Richard F. Houts, a professor in the North American Baptist Theological Seminary, in 1976. It was then modified by C. Peter Wagner of the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth. It is found in Wagner's book, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.

The Wagner-Modified Houts Chart lists 27 different gifts, drawing from all three Bible passages. The result of my test?

• My #1 gift is Giving, defined as "contributing your material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness."
• My #2 gift is Leadership, which is the ability to "set goals in accordance with God's purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God."
• # 3 is a three-way-tie between Wisdom, Helps and Service
• It's important to look at your top few gifts as your "Gift Mix"-not just your #1, because your top few results often interact and relate to each other.

Why is it important for us to learn and then develop our Spiritual Gifts? When you know your gift, you know where you can best be utilized in the work of the church. It helps you to say "yes" to the right opportunities and "no" to things that fit someone else's gifts better. You can purposefully and willingly use your talents to further the Kingdom.

Not sure how to develop and use your gift? I found an excellent resource developed by a Lutheran Synod in Wisconsin that will help you to Understand and Develop Your Spiritual Gift. It is also important that your gifts be confirmed by others-your pastor, friends and family-to really get a clear picture of where your talents lie and how they can be used.

Don't be shy...share your gifts!