Are you a follower of Jesus? Then here’s a question you should be able to answer.

What are your spiritual gifts?

Paul addresses this topic in several of his letters to the churches, most specifically in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. These two passages complement one another. I like how Romans 12 begins with the admonition to “present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” If we want to discover and use our spiritual gifts, this is a good place to start.

It reminds me of John 15, where Jesus used the illustration of a vine and branches to teach His disciples how to live the Christian life and experience the power of the Holy Spirit – the source of our spiritual gifts. The Father is the vinedresser, Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. Our spiritual life is the Holy Spirit, the “sap” of the vine, if you will, that causes fruit to be borne. After all, spiritual gifts are simply spiritual fruit – the outward evidence that we are indeed indwelled by the Holy Spirit. We don’t produce fruit; we simply surrender ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and through us. It is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the believer.

I believe that all believers have spiritual gifts. They differ according to the grace given to us, and the measure of faith allotted to us by God (Romans 12:3,6). They are given for one purpose – for the common good – the spiritual growth and edification of the Body of Christ, to the glory of God, and distributed to the members of the Body of Christ (that’s you and me) just as the Holy Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12:7,11).

The believers in the church at Corinth were struggling with divisions among themselves, and prideful thinking, even about their spiritual gifts. Paul teaches that all members of Christ’s body are equally valuable, unique, and necessary for the Body to function as it ought. No member is more or less important, although some are more visible and more honored with the gifts that are often “seen.” No gift is less or more important; it is the motivation behind our desire for those gifts that is crucial to the well-being of the Body.

Some people teach that we need to discover our spiritual gift(s) and focus our ministry and kingdom work on those areas alone. We are told that we need to find our “sweet spot” because that is where God can use us best and most. I disagree. I believe the Holy Spirit can “grace” us with different gifts at different seasons of life and ministry, depending on how He wants to use us at any particular time. We may have one or two “dominant” gifts that are more evident because of our experiences, our personalities, and perhaps our natural talent or education, but we should not exclude ourselves from serving based on the mistaken idea of “that’s not my spiritual gift.”

Take, for example, the gift of “evangelism.” Many people will say, “That’s just not my gift, so I can’t easily share the gospel.” You may be like me – a natural introvert, finding it difficult to make small talk with people you don’t know, and hesitant to turn conversations toward spiritual matters for a variety of reasons. Our natural tendency (our flesh) tells us we are exempt from being a vocal witness to others about our faith in Jesus.

Instead, we should ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power and ability to freely speak about Jesus – to gift us to obey the command of Jesus to “go into all the world and make disciples” in the authority of Jesus’ name (Matthew 28:18-20). If Jesus has commanded us to do something, then certainly He is able to equip us to do it.

Case in point. I just took a spiritual gifts inventory online after reading through 1 Corinthians 12. I’ve taken these occasionally over the years, and almost always I score high on “faith” and “teaching.” This time, however, as I answered the questions, I was surprised by the results:

#1 – Shepherding

#2 – Evangelism

#3 – Teaching

While I would still say I do not have the “gift” of evangelism, I will say that the past six years have developed in me a greater appreciation and understanding of the gospel and a deeper desire for others to know Jesus. Am I any better at communicating it? Well, maybe. Reading about the gospel, writing about it, and encouraging others to share it has obviously had an impact. But the real difference is the Holy Spirit has “graced” me with more of His heart for people.

Are there areas of ministry that you don’t feel you are equipped for?

Are there places in your spiritual growth that are lacking because you’ve decided that’s just not “your gift?”

Don’t underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to produce some surprising fruit in and through you. Surrender your life and body as a living sacrifice. Stay connected to and abide in the vine through time in God’s Word, time with God’s people, and time in prayer. As Paul says, “earnestly desire the greater gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31) – not the gifts that bring attention to you, but any gift the Holy Spirit desires to give you that will bring the most glory to the Father, and benefit the Body of Christ, the church.