Mercy: People gifted with mercy are extremely sensitive to the needs of others. They have empathy, demonstrate compassion, and are often drawn to people who are hurting. Cautions: They can be overly burdened by the needs of the world.
Serving: People with the serving gift love to meet practical needs of the body of Christ. They will volunteer to help in any way... manual jobs, behind-the-scenes tasks. They love serving! Cautions: Servants have a hard time saying "no." This can sometimes lead to them neglecting their own personal needs or the needs of their family.
Encouragement/Exhortation: People with this gift build others up through their words and counsel. Sometimes it is necessary for them to speak hard truths to others as well. These people are inspiring, motivating, and often make good counselors. Cautions: They can get discouraged themselves when people do not follow through with their advice or when people repeatedly fail.
Giving: Those with the gift of giving have an abundance of generosity and love contributing money or other resources to the body of Christ. They have a willing heart and inspire others to give as well. Cautions: They need to be careful not to be judgmental of others who do not give as they do.
Helps: People with the gift of helps are eager to "help" others be successful using their gifts. They are usually humble and compassionate. They like serving, but their great reward is the relationship they build with others. Cautions: They must be careful not to neglect their own personal/family needs and guard against pride when others are recognized and they are not.
Leadership/Administration: Both of these gifts grant people the skills to coordinate, motivate, and help others with great efficiency and impact. They give vision, guidance, and assistance. They are good communicators and organizers. Cautions: They must be careful to always be servant leaders -- with a selfless, humble nature. They also need to be careful not to neglect their needs or the needs of their family.
What do you think? Has God gifted you with a ministry gift? Everyone usually has at least one of these gifts because we are all called to minister in some way. Obviously, one of the common threads of these gifts is the inability to say "no." Just remember every time we say yes to something, we say no to something else. With the ministry gifts, we often end up saying no to our own personal needs or the needs of our family. Have you struggled in this way? Please share.
Unwrapping the ministry gifts,
Kelli
I don't want you to miss anything, so if you are just joining us in this series on spiritual gifts, you probably want to read the previous posts.
God Believes in YouSpiritual Gifts: Not a Secret
Spiritual Gifts: They Are Just That!
Spiritual Gifts: What They Are NOT (Includes an assessment)
Spiritual Gifted to Give: Equipping Gifts
2 comments:
Struggling with saying no right now!!! It's the fear of doubt, and thinking that because you've said no...that equals you're "not willing to serve." Which is not always the case...what if I desire to serve in a different way? I'm so used to filling so many roles and shoes (because, since they are lacking...who else will do it?), that I have neglected the things I've been led to do. This is ongoing, and hard. I feel entangled...and I don't know why it is so hard for me to say no!
Signed,
A Writer Who Wants To Serve The Lord With Her Gift And Passion Of Writing, Instead Of Just Being The Church Substitute Servant.
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks so much for your comment! Saying no DOES NOT equal unwillingness. Saying no means you are saying yes to what God has really gifted you in or really called you to. I tell people to serve a majority of their time in a place where they are truly gifted. On occasion and for a temporary time, serve when there is a need. This will keep you from burnout. God is a BIG GOD and He will provide another person to fill that place. Sometimes when we serve when we shouldn't, we are taking the place of someone who needs to step up.
Praying for you...keep writing...God is affirming you.
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