The purpose of spiritual gifts is two-fold: to unify the body of Christ/Christians in their faith and to produce within the church growth that is both numerical and spiritual. We all have spiritual gifts, yet no two sets look alike.
God has given the body of Christ an awesome task in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20) – making disciples, baptizing and teaching what Jesus has commanded. Could you imagine doing this alone? It would be impossible. But with the body of Christ working together, we can obey God’s command more fully than we could alone.
Spiritual gifts are biblical, given to everyone, essential to discipleship and exciting to discover and reveal. Spiritual gifts are gifted through the work of the Holy Spirit. And remember, spiritual gifts are not about you! God has a greater use for these gifts, and they are not exclusively for your edification.
So, what’s the next step? Have you taken a spiritual gifts assessment?
This message is excerpted from “Gifts for you, opening your spiritual gifts,” by Valora K. Starr, a 2011 resource of the Women of the ELCA.
If you enjoy this resource, Donate Now.