Ephesians

Discovering Your Gifts

The next question that naturally occurs to us is: “How do I discover my own gifts?” There are two ways that we discover our gifts. First, we discover by doing. This is the same way people discover they have a natural talent, such as musical or athletic ability. You’ll never know that you have what it takes to be a great concert pianist until you first sit down at a piano and take a few lessons. You’ll never know if you have what it takes to be a great quarterback until you at least pick up a football and throw it a few times. Everyone has to start somewhere.

The person who volunteers to help lead a Sunday school class or youth group could one day find himself pastoring a church. A visit to a hospital or soup kitchen could lead to the discovery of a gift of showing mercy. Volunteering to serve on the church finance or personnel committee could lead to the discovery of the gift of administration.

In the process of placing yourself in various ministry situations, you will see other Christians exercising their gifts. From time to time, you will find yourself being drawn to what you see.

You may think, “I have an affinity for that kind of ministry as well. Perhaps God is leading me in that direction.” I believe that what you enjoy doing is usually what God gives you the privilege of doing, because there is joy in exercising our spiritual gifts and in performing the ministry God designed us to do. People take great pleasure in exercising their gifts, because it is fulfilling and satisfying to carry out our God-given function.

The second way we discover our gifts is by having those gifts observed in us and affirmed in us by other Christians. When other Christians—particularly those fellow Christians you see as wise and mature—see God’s gift in you and encourage you to use it, it is a message to consider carefully and prayerfully. Equally important, our fellow Christians can often be helpful in pointing out that we don’t have the gift we think we have. I remember Dr. H. A. Ironside used to speak about those pathetic fellows who thought they had the gift of preaching, but were frustrated that no one had the gift of listening! So other Christians have an important role in holding up a spiritual mirror to us, so that we can see our unique range of gifts more clearly.

Of course, the key to discovering our gifts—whether we discover them through doing or through the affirmation of fellow Christians—is that we ask God in prayer to open our eyes and reveal our gifts to us. These are spiritual gifts, not natural talents, so we urgently need the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into the fullest knowledge and richest expression of our unique, God-given charismata.

Ephesians Appendix: Spiritual Warfare

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