Spiritual Gifts can be hard to identify at times and may take a gradual appearance. Sometimes other people point them out to you, other times you discover them based on where you thrive naturally. To figure out what yours may be you need to first understand what they are.
Spiritual gifts are talents that you gain or realize once you commit your life to Christ. They are abilities you have that can help further the kingdom and help those around you become closer to God. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-13, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Christ gave us gifts to encourage unity and growth through service. We are all called to serve in the church and if you find your life's missing something perhaps it could be serving. I know for me, serving is when I feel closest to God and it even helped me recommit my life to Christ as an adult. Figuring out which gifts you hold is essential to walking closer with Christ. This can take time and even failure to figure out where you best grow. For example, there was a time I thought I wanted to do missions, so I went on a short-term trip to see if this could be my calling. After the trip, I knew for certain it was not for me, but that led me to see where I did thrive.
So what are the spiritual gifts?
Paul writes in Romans 12: 4-8, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Here is an outline of which gifts are found in different books of the bible:
Romans 12: Encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, prophecy, service, teaching.
1 Corinthians 12: Administration, discernment, healing, interpretation of languages, prophecy, wisdom, apostle, faith, help, knowledge, miracles, teaching
1 Peter 4: Serving and teaching
Ephesians 4: Apostle, pastor, teaching, evangelism, prophecy
If you're not sure what some of these mean here is a list with a brief description but I would encourage you to read the above references for more guidance.
Administration: Someone who is organized, thoughtful, and naturally good and keeping plans in check.
Apostle: This term can be used to describe a missionary, someone who wants to teach the gospel to those in a different area than their own.
Discernment: Spiritual guidance to help with the decision-making process; good judgment of character.
Encouragement: The ability to uplift or support another through actions and words.
Evangelism: Spreading the gospel to the unchurched
Faith: Having trust in God and leaning on him. A strong presence of God.
Giving: Naturally good at giving money, possessions, or time to the church or to those in need.
Healing: This is not seen as much anymore but the ability to physically heal someone who is hurt, dying in need of treatment.
Help: The ability to assist someone else and assess who and what needs aid.
Interpretation of languages: This is also not seen as much anymore but if someone is speaking in tongues then this person would be able to interpret what they are saying. The Holy Spirit in Acts 2 also gave the disciples the ability to teach in multiple languages so others would understand the gospel.
Knowledge: Retaining scripture, godly advice, other information, and understanding what it means.
Leadership: People look to you for leadership and you motivate people to follow you in service.
Mercy: Having an easy time showing mercy and grace to those around you. Believing in second chances, and seeing all that someone could be despite their failures.
Miracles: Again, this one is not seen as much but being able to perform miracles such as healing or helping people in a non-human way.
Pastoring: The call to walk alongside people as they grow closer to God. Helping someone grow spiritually through discipleship, preaching, teaching, and/or mentorship.
Prophecy: The ability to accurately predict the future and share what God’s plans are.
Serving: Longing to help others and the church. Could look vastly different based on your interest. For example, service may be helping out in the kid's area for one person and singing on the worship team for another.
Teaching: Naturally being able to explain concepts and ideas to others in a way they will understand.
Wisdom: A compilation of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Has nothing to do with age and God can give you more and more as you ask for it. I believe this is one spiritual gift everyone can have.
As you can see there are many spiritual gifts you could have and you may have a couple! Getting involved in your local church, praying about them, or talking to a pastor/lay leader can help you pinpoint which ones you have. You may already know just from reading the list and want to practice that said gift, I would encourage you to do that and to be patient with yourself. All of these gifts grow with us over time, and it’s possible that as you go through life other ones are revealed in you. Remember to show yourself grace and patience as you figure it out.
Sources: Bible Gateway NIV. Upwards Church: Listing of Spiritual Gifts. Oxford Dictionary.