Spiritual Gifts . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland



The last week or so I’ve been thinking about spiritual gifts, and I’m not exactly sure why this has been on my mind. Then the thought came to me, after a couple of days, that maybe I’m supposed to write about these gifts, so I started thinking a bit more purposely about this and making some notes.

 

I do remember participating in a spiritual gifts assessment in my Meeting several years ago, a topic I knew little about at that time. We talked about the different kinds of spiritual gifts and shared what gifts we saw in one another.
 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

This week when I opened one of my Bibles to look up some scriptures on spiritual gifts I ran across several slips of paper with notes on them. A few of those were about spiritual gifts, including scriptural references and related topics. One of these notes was from June of 2009, my first year as a counselor up at Quaker Haven Camp. It seems that we spent some time that week talking with our campers, 5^th & 6^th graders, about spiritual gifts, as my notes included several scriptures about these gifts. The first scripture that I jotted down was Romans 12:6-8 NIV:



'We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, then let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.’

 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

I’ll admit although this isn’t the scripture that comes into my mind when I think about spiritual gifts, but it has gotten me to think about what it is that I do. Much of what I do fits into the gifts mentioned in this scripture – serving, teaching, encouraging and leadership, BUT do I have those spiritually? This then makes me wonder . . . if what I do is because I have been ‘gifted’ by the Holy Spirit OR if I’m just using my natural talents, abilities and skills OR some combination. I believe it's a combination between the natural and the gifts, but not sure I can separate between them.

What I do know is that there are a number of spiritual gifts and not everyone has been given one or more. Not having any of these gifts actually requires that you rely on others around you and the fact that no one individual has every gift means we are all dependent on one another. Spiritual gifts aren't something that we usually talk about, in everyday conversation that is - we don’t wear them and we don’t put them on display up on a wall or shelf. Rather we use spiritual gifts to benefit others around us, in our Meeting/Church and in our community, using them to do God's work.



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

This now has me looking back over this last year and the journey that I've been on, all the new experiences and opportunities I've had including helping during the USFWI/QMI Triennial and going on the Pilgrimage to Ireland/Northern Ireland. When looking back I realized that I had not only seen and heard about multiple ministries but I also did some ministry. And this has now all got me wondering. Wondering . . . if I was called by God to help and participate in these two events to use the gifts He gave me OR just to give service. Wondering . . . if God called me to go to awaken new or additional gifts in me OR to more fully use my natural talents, skills and abilities and/or the gifts I already had. Wondering . . . if I was called by God to go to help others see and begin using gifts they had been given OR to encourage them in continuing to use their gifts.

 

One of the other scriptures I wrote down in 2009 that mentions spiritual gifts was 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV:

 



Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

'There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 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 that 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 interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.'

 

Wondering now if my blog is part of a gift that I’ve been given? Although not listed as a spiritual gift in either of these two scriptures, 'ministry' is a gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit, and the word 'ministry' has been used by some of my Friends several times when speaking of my blog posts . . . calling it a ‘writing ministry,’ OR a ‘teaching ministry,’ and the words ‘spiritual’ and ‘devotional’ have also been mentioned. And I’ve had more than one Friend welcome me into ‘public ministry’ this year. And the feeling comes over me that this is all intertwined – the spiritual giftedness and ministry.
 

Giant's Causeway
Northern Ireland

I believe it's good to pause every now and again, that is to stop and think, about where I am in and with my life - what I've done and what I'd like to be doing, taking a kind of inventory. Maybe it’s time for me now to pause and take inventory, to try and figure out exactly what is natural and what may be a spiritual gift OR gifts. And then look at how I'm using them or maybe more importantly IF I'm using them and how well I am using them.

 

So, I continue in my wondering . . . What spiritual gift OR gifts have I been given, if any? Why was I given this/these gift(s)? Am I using the gift(s) I've been given, the best I can? What are God’s plans for me?

And so that I’m not the only one left here wondering, I’ll invite you to wonder along with me . . . What spiritual gift OR gifts have been given to you? Are you using it/them the best you can? Are you helping others around you to nurture and use the spiritual gifts that they have been given?