Thoughts for Life: #65 Help Your People Discover & Develop their Spiritual Gifts

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Every natural ability God gives us is a trust which we are responsible to use. We must be good stewards or God may withdraw the ability.

If we wisely use our abilities and experiences for God's glory, He often gives additional experience and abilities to use. (Google image, Common working people)

The Bible lists spiritual gifts in a number of places (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-10, 28; Eph. 4:7-8, 11-13; 1 Peter 4:10-11). Twenty-one are named, some several times. Obviously, these are just samples of the manifold ways God gives special divine enablements.

All ability, skill, and personal endowment is due to God's gracious goodness, His provision in our personality, and His faithfulness in our heritage and experience.

Some of these spiritual gifts are completely dependent upon God's miracle power and are therefore often referred to as supernatural spiritual gifts. While they require our obedience to God in their use, they are in no way operable apart from God's supernatural enabling, power, and wisdom.

Among these are prophecy, miracle powers (plural), healings (plural), kinds of languages (plural), interpretations of languages (plural), and distinguishing between spirits.

No one can produce a supernatural gift by his own choice. He cannot choose the occasion or time when it will be manifested. He can only obey the Spirit's promptings and guidance, and humbly depend on God, giving all the glory to God.

The gift is the working of the Spirit and thus is under the control of the Spirit, but is manifested only as we obey and cooperate with the Spirit.

Thus no one can heal anyone he chooses, whenever he chooses, or in a manner he himself chooses. All healing is from God. One can follow the scriptural injunction to pray for healing, can be guided to pray for the healing of a particular person at a particular time, and can be given faith for a particular physical need.

The healing power, however, is always god's power, and is always subject to the lordship of the Spirit and the will of God.

Another category of gifts listed in Scripture is more fully based on abilities with which we were born or which we have developed. To these gifts (sometimes called "natural gifts") God can add a special supernatural touch which supplements the natural with the divine, guides and empowers the natural skill with the supernatural supervision, and maximizes and multiplies the effectiveness by the enabling and anointing of the Spirit.

For example, many consider teaching a natural gift. Some seem to be born teachers. They have a combination of personality characteristics which enable them to be trained to become skilled teachers.

However, a Christian "born teacher" can have a special added divine enabling in teaching. This then is a true gift of God. The person thus given the gift of teaching recognizes when God's hand is upon him in this special enabling and empowering way.

He knows when God touches his teaching and when he is merely teaching by his own natural ability and training. He is at times aware of God's touch not only in the moment of teaching, but also in his preparation for teaching and even in the gathering and preparation of his teaching materials.

Remember, God's list includes such practical gifts as serving, administrating, encouraging, faith, giving, helps, knowledge, showing mercy, speaking, and wisdom.

No mention is made of many other special ways in which God gifts people, such as special enablement for children's work, youth ministry, music ministry, song writing, and for careers as theologians, artists, poets. Note that in the bible lists the individuals whom God uses in this way are also listed as His gifts to the church.

WAYS YOU HELP YOUR PEOPLE DISCOVER
AND USE THEIR GIFTS

Help them realize that every natural ability is a gift entrusted to them by God for the good of others.
Help them realize areas of potential which they can develop or in which they can receive training.
Help them recognize ways in which God is using them now and putting His seal upon them. Often others realize a gift God is giving before we recognize it ourselves.
Help them realize that God is waiting to guide them in the use of their talents, gifts, and time. Teach them to pray for and believe for His guidance. Teach them how to develop a listening ear.
Help them realize that God can add His anointing, His supernatural touch, to any form of legitimate work or ministry. Teach them the importance of asking for the anointing of the Spirit every time they do something out of love for Christ, in His name, and for His glory.
Help them realize any spiritual supernatural gift which God seems to be giving them. Help them test the gift and guide them in using it. But teach them not to overemphasize these special gifts. In most cases God uses people by adding His special touch to their natural gifts.
Help them discover ways to use God's special gifts and the skills, talents, and experiences God has given them.
Caution them to remain humble in the use of God's gifts, to value the gifts of other Christians, and to give God the praise and glory for all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#65 Help Your People Discover & Develop their Spiritual Gifts
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 194-197) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Hands clasped in prayer

Father, thank You for our natural abilities You've given us. We acknowledge our need for You to help us to develop them in order to be good stewards.

Some spiritual gifts are completely dependent upon Your miracle power and are referred to as supernatural.
These gifts require our obedience to You in their use, and are in no way operable apart from Your Spirit for the enabling, power and wisdom to use them.
May we follow Your Spirit within us to obey the promptings and guidance He gives, and to humbly depend on You, being careful to give any glory to You, Father.
Help us see the giftings You've given, and learn how and when to use them in order to benefit others in our churches.
Adding Your special supernatural touch to our natural skills will multiply the effectiveness and the enabling and anointing of the Spirit within us.
Whatever may be out "giftings", may we submit to authority over us, as to how we are to help minister to others effectively for the kingdom.
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

(Rev. 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power: for Thou has created
all things, and for Thy pleasure are and were created."

Rom. 12:6-8 "Having then gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the portion of faith;
(7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he
that teacheth, on teaching; (8) Or he that exhorteth,
on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;
he that ruleth, with diligence, he that sheweth mercy,
with cheerfulness."

Eph. 3:20 (NIV "Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
(21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Today's quotes-

~ A. W. Tozer- "In our desire after God let us keep always in mind that God also has desire, and His desire is toward the sons of men, and more particularly toward those sons of men who will make the once-for-all decision to exalt him over all.
Such as these are precious to God above all treasures of earth or sea. In them God finds a theater where He can display His exceeding kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. With them God can walk unhindered; toward them He can act like the God He is."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 4 (916), p. 1,2. Used by permission.]

~ Fred D. Jarvis- "It is time for us to seek God's face, to hear His voice and to submit to His will. He is still seeking for a man among us to make up the hedge and to stand in the gap (Ezek. 22:30). He is seeking for men who can be clothed with His power and speak with His authority. We need men with an authentic touch of heaven to match the times in which we live. Our God is living! He is powerful!" [Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 3 (915), p. 37. Used by permission.]

Today's question-

Why do we need a daily reminder of God's love?

First of all, we need to know that He loves us. It tends to make all the difference in the world to believers, as they'll know they're loved, and won't lose hope and direction for our lives. Taking the time to meet with Him daily for prayer, planned Bible reading, and to meditate on what we've read, reminds us that God loves and cares for each of us. It will keep us focused, hopeful and determined to serve Him.

Upcoming posts-

#66 Train Your People for Witnessing & Soul-Winning
28th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

The Touch of God
7/7 Saturday's post by Max Lucado

#67 Leading a Person to Christ
3rd- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#68 Prepare Your People by Teaching them God's Word
5th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel