I just took a spiritual gifting survey my church gave out a few weeks ago. It was the S.H.A.P.E. inventory; some of you might be familiar with it. No single survey taken in an hour or two can fully represent what God has given us, but this one does a pretty good job. It takes into consideration much more than just our skills. In fact, S.H.A.P.E. stands for Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience; all the things that are accounted for in the survey. I was really surprised by the results I got. I have always thought of myself as an encourager and a teacher, I love watching people grow in their abilities and confidence in themselves. Because of this I was amazed to see both of those gifts show up at the bottom of my list. Also, the gift of faith (which I had thought of as something I was not blessed with) was at the very top!
This really got me thinking. What was God setting me up to do? What is his purpose for me? How was my evaluation of myself getting in the way of what he has in store for me? If faith is my biggest gift, why am I so afraid to step out and do what I know God is calling me to do? I looked up a well known verse on spiritual gifts, one found in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 12 verse 3-8.
Paul says, "I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another."
He continues, "God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully."
The first few lines caused me to pause. My insecurities have kept me thinking that others are much more valuable than I am. Because of this, I have come to realize that I consider myself as being much better than others at being worse! If I focus on my faith, there is no room for self doubt and pity. If God loves me and has given me special gifts and talents, maybe I should take the time to consider that... Paul comments that we are all part of the body of Christ, we all have need for him and need for one another. Those around me, the church and God depend on me to do what I was built to do. It is my duty to recognize that and step out in faith, to trust in God that I am loved and valued, that I can do what he has given me to do.
So what does this mean? Right now it means I get to pray more and talk less.... Check out next week's first post. I'll fill you in on what God tells me!
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