How many of us have unused God-given gifts? Scripture tells us that God gives us these gifts according to His grace, not as a reward for spiritual maturity. We can’t earn our gifts, that’s why they’re called “gifts!” We don’t know what to do with these gifts, so we often put them away in an empty closet and forget about them. Maybe you have a gift of singing but can’t seem to take that first step to choir practice. Perhaps you have a gift of creativity but are too afraid to express your ideas.

Remember the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30)? Jesus tells us to use what we’ve been given. So open your closet, dust off those gifts, and put them into use! How do we do that? Begin by praying and studying Scripture. The following gift definitions and biblical references are from the ELCA’s Opening Your Spiritual Gifts, written by Neal Boese and Patricia Haller and produced by the Education and Evangelism team of the division for Congregational Ministries.

~       Administration – the gift that enables a believer to formulate, direct, and carry out plans necessary to fulfill a purpose. (1 Corinthians 12:28, Acts 14:23)

~       Artistry – the gift that gives the believer the skill of creating artistic expressions that produce a spiritual response of strength and inspiration. (Exodus 31:1-11, Psalm 149:3a)

~       Discernment – the gift that motivates a believer to seek God’s will and purpose and apply that understanding to individual and congregational situations. (John 16:6-15, Romans 9:1, 1 Corinthians 2:9-16)

~       Evangelism – the gift that moves believers to reach nonbelievers in such a way that they are baptized and become active members of the Christian community. (Matthew 28:16-20, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 2:36-40)

~       Exhortation – the gift that moves the believer to reach out with Christian love and presence to people in personal conflict or facing a spiritual void. (John 14:1, II Timothy 1:16-18, III John 5-8)

~       Faith – the gift that gives a believer the eyes to see the Spirit at work and the ability to trust the Spirit’s leading without indication of where it all might lead. (Genesis 12:1-4a, Mark 5:25-34, I Thessalonians 1:8-10)

~       Giving – the gift that enables a believer to recognize God’s blessing and to respond to those blessings by generously and sacrificially giving of one’s resources – talent, time, and treasure. (II Corinthians 9:6-15, Luke 21:1-4)

~       Hospitality – the gift that causes a believer to joyfully welcome and receive guests and those in need of food and lodging. (Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23a, Luke 10:38)

~       Intercession – the gift that enables a believer to pray with certainty that prayer is heard and, when requests are made, answers will come. (Matthew 6:6-15, Luke 11:1-10, Ephesians 6:18)

~       Knowledge – the gift that drives a person to learn, analyze, and uncover new insight with regard to the bible and faith. (1 Corinthians 12:8, 1 Corinthians 14:6, Romans 12:2)

~       Leadership – the gift that gives a believer the confidence to step forward, give direction, and provide motivation to fulfill a dream or complete a task. (Romans 12:8, John 21:15-17, II Timothy 4:1-5)

~       Mercy – the gift that motivates a believer to feel deeply for those in physical, spiritual, or emotional need and then act to meet that need. (Luke 7:12-15, Luke 10:30-37, Matthew 25:34-36)

~       Music: Vocal – the gift that gives a believer the capability and opportunity to present personal witness and inspiration to others through singing. (Psalm 96:1-9, Psalm 100:1-2, Psalm 149:1-2)

~       Music: Instrumental – the gift that inspires a believer to express personal faith and provide inspiration and comfort through the playing of a musical instrument. (Psalm 33:1-5, Psalm 150, I Samuel 16:14-23)

~       Pastoring (Shepherding) – the gift that gives a believer the confidence, capability, and compassion to provide spiritual leadership and direction for individuals or groups of believers. (I Timothy 4:12-16, I Timothy 3:1-3, II Timothy 4:1-2)

~       Service (Helps) – the gift that enables a believer to work gladly behind the scenes in order that God’s work is fulfilled. (Luke 23:50-54, Romans 16:1-16, Philippians 2:19-23)

~       Skilled Craft – the gift that enables a believer to create, build, maintain, or repair items used within the church. (Exodus 30:1-6, Exodus 31:3-5, Ezekiel 27:4-11)

~       Teaching – the gift that enables a believer to communicate a personal understanding of the bible and faith in such as way that it becomes clear and understood by others. (1 Corinthians 12:28, Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 18:24-48)

~       Wisdom – the gift that allows the believers to sort through opinions, facts, and thoughts in order to determine what solution would be best for the individual believer or the community of believers. (1 Corinthians 2:6-13, James 3:13-18, II Chronicles 1:7-11)

~       Writing – the gift that gives a believer the ability to express truth in a written form; a form that can edify, instruct, and strengthen the community of believers. (I John 2:1-6, 12-14, I Timothy 3:14-15, Jude 3)

Now that you’ve read about some gifts, consider these questions:

What brings me joy and fulfillment?

Have I consciously asked God to reveal my spiritual gifts to me?

Can I set aside some special time this week to read these gift descriptions and the Scriptural references?

Review the Scripture references of those gifts listed you think might be yours. Ask someone close to you to suggest the gifts they think you have. Then together re-review the appropriate Scripture references.

Prayer: Giver of all gifts, thank you for all you have given me. Help me rediscover my spiritual gifts and to use them in my daily life to bring glory to You and serve the needs of others. Direct me to my congregational ministries where I can learn to use the gifts you have given me and edify the body of Christ. In Your Name I pray. Amen

“Not all of the gifts identified in Scripture are used... The spectacular gifts, such as speaking in tongues, healing and miracles, prophecy, and bold proclamation of God, and some of the non-spectacular gifts, such as martyrdom, and celibacy, have not been included. Although these gifts exist, they are not commonly utilized in the mainstream of congregational life. Since the objective of spiritual gift deployment is to unify and produce growth through service, only the service related gifts have been included.” ELCA’s Opening Your Spiritual Gifts, written by Neal Boese and Patricia Haller and produced by the Education and Evangelism team of the division for Congregational Ministries.