Be A World-Changer: Your Spiritual Gifts

Steven Lake Posted on Posted in Life Well-Lived

A calling is a summons from God to a unique task based on His purposes. Throughout Scripture God calls certain people to specific tasks. He equips the person for their assigned job through their life experiences, training, personal strengths, and individual passions.

  • Abraham left everything to go to a place God would show him.
  • Joseph prevented starvation through his wise stewardship.
  • Moses brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
  • Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land.
  • Esther saved the Jews from total extermination.
  • Jeremiah was God’s messenger sharing whatever God told him.
  • Nehemiah built a wall in 5 weeks that triggered a spiritual revival.
  • Mary gave birth to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
  • Peter was the Apostle to the Jews.
  • Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles.
  • James, Jesus’ brother, was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
  • Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as the twelfth Apostle.
  • Lydia used her home as a resting place for itinerant missionaries.
  • Timothy served as the pastor of the church of Ephesus.

There’s a pattern to God’s calling that’s repeated in each scenario. God calls someone to GO somewhere to DO something TO some group or issue SO some outcome occurs that accomplishes God’s purposes. And often, He adds, “LO, I will be with you.”

In the calling diagram below, believers are called by God to use their spiritual gifts to impact a particular audience (a group of people or social issue] to bring about the outcome God intends.

The key component in your calling is your spiritual gifts. In essence, your spiritual gift sums up your calling. If you have the gift of giving, GIVE. If leadership, LEAD. If helps, HELP. If encouragement, ENCOURAGE. If healing, HEAL. And so forth. The remainder of your calling is who or what you should focus on in ministry, and for what specific result.

Look over the spiritual gifts in the table below and ask God to show you your primary spiritual gift. If the indicator is true in your life, the gift may be one that God has given you.

SPIRITUAL GIFT

INDICATOR: God often uses you to…

1.      Administration

Bring order out of chaos

2.      Apostleship

Start something new

3.      Discernment

Assess people’s motives and truthfulness

4.      Encouragement

Walk alongside people who are hurting

5.      Evangelism

Share Christ everywhere you go

6.      Faith

Believe that God’s promises are certain

7.      Giving

Provide resources joyfully

8.      Healing

Lead broken people back to wholeness

9.      Helps

Do whatever needs to be done – joyfully

10.  Hospitality

Welcome strangers into your home

11.  Intercession

Pray consistently and fervently

12.  Interpretation

Explain God’s messages said in tongues

13.  Knowledge

Use what you know to help people grow

14.  Leadership

Guide people to complete tasks together

15.  Mercy

Be the first responder with urgent care

16.  Miracles

Do the impossible on God’s behalf

17.  Prophecy

To share God’s message with others

18.  Shepherding

Guide believers to grow spiritually

19.  Teaching

Present truth clearly so people apply it

20.  Tongues

Speak truth in languages you don’t know

21. Wisdom

Apply biblical truths to specific situations

© 2013 Designed to Serve®

About

Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. He has served in a variety of position, including teacher, elementary school principal, junior high principal, Associate Superintendent, retired from public education as Superintendent of Schools in Lincolnwood, IL. He has his Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Education degrees from Northern Illinois University. For the past 25 years Steve has attended and been a member of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington and Northfield, IL. At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. He has ministered overseas in Angola, Zambia, Honduras, Germany, and Russia. Steve is co-founder of Designed to Serve, a ministry that equips Christians to live out their unique God-given calling. Steve is married and has two adult children who are married.