How Do I Find My Spiritual Gifts?

You find your spiritual gifts in three steps: discover them, develop them, and use them. Start by learning what the Bible says the gifts are and listening to people who see God working through you. Then start serving somewhere, grow from there, and keep using what the Holy Spirit gives you. Every believer has at least one, because "to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Do I really have a spiritual gift?

Yes. Brad Straarup took this on in his message The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and his answer starts right there: every believer has been given something. Paul opens his teaching on the gifts with, "Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed" (1 Corinthians 12:1). Then he says the Spirit gives to "each one" (12:7, 12:11). Peter says the same: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). If you belong to Jesus, you're an "each."

Here's a working definition. A spiritual gift is a grace-given ability through which the Holy Spirit works for the good of others. Or, more simply: "A spiritual gift is God at work through you for someone who isn't you." That means your gift may be the answer to someone else's prayer.

So why do so many Christians not know their gifts? A while back Brad bought new iPhones and then left them in a drawer for a month while his old phone quit working. Everything he needed was sitting in that drawer, unopened. Many believers live the same way. The gift is there. The drawer stays shut.

What is not a spiritual gift?

Clearing up a few common mix-ups makes the search much easier.

• Not natural talents. When you're born naturally, God gives you natural talents. When you're born again, the Spirit gives spiritual gifts. Plenty of unbelievers can sing well. Gifts are Spirit-empowered, not personality-powered.
• Not for an elite few. God isn't handing out gifts to the good kids and coal to the rest. The word Paul uses, charisma, comes from the word for grace. You don't earn it.
• Not the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace and the rest (Galatians 5:22-23) aren't gifts some people get. They're fruit every believer should be growing.
• Not a maturity badge. The Corinthian church had every gift and still acted immature (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). No gift makes you more important than anyone else (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
• Not something to fear. People can be weird. The Holy Spirit isn't.

Step 1: How do I discover my gifts?

Start by knowing what the gifts are. You can't recognize something you've never heard of. Read the main lists slowly: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Ephesians 4:11-13 and 1 Peter 4:10-11. As you read, notice what stirs something in you and where you've already seen God use you.

Next, listen to other people. Often someone will say, "I think you have a gift for this," before you see it yourself. The body of Christ helps you see what you can't see alone (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

And ask the Holy Spirit directly. Take thirty seconds, get quiet, and ask the Holy Spirit what He is saying to you and what your next step is. He gives the gifts "just as he determines" (1 Corinthians 12:11), so He's the right one to ask. You're also encouraged to "eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:1).

This is a big reason we walk people through Growth Track. It exposes you to the gifts and helps you start naming what God has put in you.

Step 2: How do I develop my gifts?

Start somewhere. If you don't know where to start, just start. Maybe you begin as a greeter because someone greeted you when you felt like church would reject you, and you want to do that for someone else. Over time, you might find yourself wanting to lead a group or disciple people one-on-one. That's growth.

Think of an apple tree. A young tree feeds a few people. A mature tree feeds many more. Gifts grow the same way, through practice and maturity. Paul told Timothy, "fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you" (2 Timothy 1:6), and "Do not neglect your gift" (1 Timothy 4:14).

Step 3: How do I use my gifts?

You've just got to use them. Gifts grow by use, not by study alone. Pray for the person who's sick. Encourage the person God puts on your heart. Serve on a team. You'll see the power of God as you step out.

And hold your gifts with open hands. They are given, not owned. When Saint insisted the family iPad was his, the reply was simple: "You don't have an iPad. You have a father. And your father has an iPad." Gifts work like that. The Holy Spirit has them, you have the Holy Spirit, and you steward what He gives. That keeps you humble when He works through you and keeps you from quitting when He doesn't seem to.

What if something is blocking my gifts?

Sometimes the drawer stays shut because of sin we keep ignoring. The Spirit is speaking, and we're tuning Him out. The way forward is simple: repent, come back to the Father, and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again. Jesus moved in the Spirit's power after being filled at His baptism (Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14), and we need that same filling.

And if you feel like you've wasted years, hear this. "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). Some chapters of your story weren't written by God, but He can still make the final chapter fit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have more than one spiritual gift?

Yes. The Spirit distributes gifts as He chooses (1 Corinthians 12:11), and many believers see Him work through them in several ways. Focus less on counting gifts and more on faithfully using what He gives today.

Are spiritual gift tests accurate?

They can be a helpful starting point because they expose you to the lists. But they can't replace Scripture, prayer, the input of people who know you, and actually serving. Most people discover their gifts by using them.

What if I try and nothing seems to happen?

Keep going. Gifts are the Spirit's work, not a switch you flip. Sometimes He works later, or in ways you don't see, so that you know it was Him and not you.

Open the drawer

God didn't give you a gift to leave it unopened. Discover it, develop it and use it, for someone who isn't you.

This post comes from Brad Straarup's message, The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, part of our series on the Holy Spirit.

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