THE MOTIVATIONAL GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT

". . .if it is encouraging, let him encourage . . ." (Romans 12:8, NIV)

This word "encourage" has an interesting meaning.  It comes from the Greek word "parakaleo" which, in simplest terms, means to admonish, to encourage, to beseech.  The deeper meaning, however, means "to come alongside."  In other words, you, dear Encourager, are not just words -- you are action.  Sometimes this gift is referred to as Exhorter.  You'll find the word "exhortation" in the RSV Bible.  Exhortation and encouragement work together in this gift.  Encouragement mainly involves comfort, understanding, help, and strength.  Exhortation involves rebuke and admonishment along with words of comfort and strength.    Unfortunately, it's a difficult word to translate because we don't have a single word that brings those two ideas together.  I'm going to use the word "encourage" instead of "exhort" for the sake of simplicity, but just know when reading this post that I'm referring to all aspects of this gift.

A good picture for what it means to "come alongside" might best be drawn in the relationship between a lawyer and his client.  The lawyer stands in the gap and defends his client's case.  He strengthens his client's position before a judge.  More than that even, one who comes alongside cares enough to confront and correct the wrong.  When unbelief rears its ugly head you challenge us to faith.  When we are too weak to stand you come along and motivate our hearts back to a place of strength.  So much of scripture upholds this type of behavior.  Jesus most assuredly comes alongside us and strengthens our case before God.  "He's there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through Him, always on the job to speak up for them." (Hebrews 7:25, Msg)  He never leaves us to find our own way.  He corrects and rebukes and comforts us to the point of change.

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Encouraging then here are some things you should know about yourself.  You are, for the most part, practical, tolerant of others, a little serious minded, orderly and a good counselor.  You express yourself easily in a group setting and others willingly listen when you speak.  You might interrupt people when they're speaking in order to convey needed application of the truth but it's only out of enthusiasm to apply the truth of God's word to others.  Your greatest desire is to show how God's word is applied to everyday life and conduct.  Although you tend to believe that Scripture holds the answer for every problem the application is more important than quoting the actual verse.  You are usually a good teacher and this gift often finds itself working with the Motivational Gift of Teaching.  Unlike the person with the Motivational Gift of Teaching, however, you are more apt to teach the same material over and over, perfecting it and changing it up so as to make it more and more applicable to the listener each time.  You are persuasive and others probably seek you out when confused or hurting.  At the core of this gift, however, is your willingness to take risks with people.  You are willing to believe in someone when no one else will.  This is truly a defining characteristic of the Encourager.  Your willingness to see people through to the desired end result: victory over sin and a life that resembles the Savior.

On the downside, if not relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, you will tend to get discouraged yourself.  You give out a lot allowing others to take everything you have to give, and, many times there isn't always another encourager around to help build you back up.  You also have a tendency to rely on yourself for answers and needed encouragement instead of relying on the Lord.  It's only because it comes so naturally to you.

If this is you, you have most likely learned, or are learning, how to truly be an encourager through the fires of experience -- through times of standing in the empty halls of ruthless trust.  This gift is being built in you and refined in you by the hard times in life.  Ruthless trust has made it's mark on you and is pouring out of you by means of encouraging others.  Be encouraged yourself!  God knows what He's doing with you and you will literally live out the verse that says "Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of  Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, NIV)  If you're a little older you can probably look back on your life and see some pretty difficult things that you've survived. What's more, you've not only survived them but they've become solid reminders of times when God lifted you up, comforted you, admonished you, corrected you, and, instead of judging you harshly He held you tight and set you right.  These places in your life are the pillars of your faith.  It is only having come out the other side that allows you to be this person to others.

I once had a very, very sweet friend (she has recently passed away) who operated heavily in the Motivational Gift of Encourager.  Her life exemplified the hard times of which I speak.  She epitomized what it meant to come alongside someone.  She came alongside me and my husband many times.  When we were still very young in our faith she recognized the need we had to understand God's word in a deeper way even before we did.  She supplied us with at least two different Bibles (one was a topical Bible for ease of finding things -- makes me smile a little now) along with other study guides and books.  She called us up on a regular basis just to ask about our spiritual life.  She would pick our brains during those phone calls until she got a clear picture of the current depth of our faith and until she was sure that our understanding of God's love and will for our lives had become clearer to us than the last time.  As you can imagine, the phone calls were quite lengthy.  It wasn't just us, either.  You could ALWAYS find her talking to and sharing with the stranger in the church service or the bedraggled and down-trodden soul at the store.  I have this gift operating in me but it's not the one I score the highest in.  It always comes up third for me.  I'm not so apt to take risks with people, although I have surprised myself lately.  (Maybe the gift is growing in me a bit.  I hope.)  My friend, the Encourager, never, ever considered coming alongside someone to be risky.  It was just what she did.  I'm not sure I ever made sure that she knew how much she did for us all those years ago.  She knows now.  Thank you, Ann.

Let's look at an example from scripture: Barnabas, the quintessential encourager.  Barnabas' name means Son of Encouragement. (Acts 4:36))  Barnabas took risks with people.  Like Saul before he became Paul.  "When he (Saul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.  But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.  He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." (Acts 9:26-27, NIV, parenthesis mine)  How much risk do you think it would take to come alongside a known persecutor of Christians, your own brothers and sisters in Christ, and make a statement to these same people that you are going to believe in this person no matter how scary it feels or looks regardless of this person's past. It would look like you were betraying those who have walked beside you.  That's what Barnabas was up against coming alongside Saul.  Did you notice how Barnabas defended Saul and strengthened his case before the harsh judges?  And, what about John Mark?  Remember him?  When this same Paul rejected John Mark and would no longer stand beside him because he failed to be all that Paul wanted, needed and expected him to be, Barnabas saw more. "Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.' Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.  Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus." (Acts 15:36-38, NIV)   Barnabas took the risk and came alongside John Mark until John Mark became the person that Paul, later on in his ministry, could not live without. "Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry." (2 Timothy 4:11, NIV)  Please understand how valuable you are, Encourager!  Who knows what might have become of Saul or John Mark had it not been for this gift working through Barnabas.  Jesus exemplifies all of the gifts, but of them all, this one screams the life of Christ (at least to me) who comes alongside us when no one else will -- who risked everything on our behalf, no matter how many times we fail.  He does whatever  is necessary to help us see and understand truth -- His truth!

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Encourager here's what you need to do.  First, remember your Source!  It is not YOU who is doing the encouraging but the Holy Spirit working through you in your gift.  Likewise, it is the Holy Spirit who is willing to encourage YOU and fill YOU back up as needed.  Second,  because of your tendency to look to yourself for answers and solutions you also have a tendency to forget to pray.  Make time to pray.  Pray while on the treadmill, while walking through the grocery isles, while in your office and anytime you can grab 5 minutes.  PRAY!  It's important because every 5 minutes you will probably find someone else to come alongside.  Third, taking risks with people does not mean that you allow yourself to become a doormat. Needy people have a tendency to take advantage of your time, sucking the life out of you.  This may not be intentional on their part, but it happens far too easily.  And it does not mean that you put them before your family.  This is always my mantra: family comes before others.  Your family is your first most important ministry.  They need you to be willing to take those risks for them first.  They need you to come alongside them first.  Fourth, try to take notice of when you are enthusiastically interrupting others in order to bring the necessary application of truth.  It's a little thing to be sure; however, refining our gifts and doing the Christian life with a little finesse shows maturity.

Encouraged,
Kerry

NOTE:  The description of each gift is based on the highest score possible for an individual.  You may find that only certain things are true for you and the rest is only true to a certain measure.  We are individuals created by an infinitely creative God.  We do not fit any certain mold.  These descriptions help you to understand why you see things a certain way, why you act a certain way and why some things are more important to you than other things.  Most of us will score fairly high in 2 or 3 gifts and how these gifts rank and what God has you involved in at the time will determine how well these gift descriptions speak to your individual personality.

THE MOTIVATIONAL GIFT OF TEACHING

". . . if it is teaching, let him teach."  (Romans 12:7b, NIV)

The Motivational Gift of Teaching is a bit different than some of the other gifts because it's a little more quiet.  By "quiet" I mean that you probably won't run the risk of becoming a workaholic and neglecting your family like with the gift of Serving; and, you probably won't make people mad like with the gift of Prophecy.  There are a couple of things to watch out for with this gift, however.  1) You do run the risk of boring your listeners to death with all your knowledge -- too thorough, too detailed, concept beat to death, class overwhelmed with too much information and everyone bored.  And that is truly one of the difficult things about this gift, the possibility of being a real bore.  2) More importantly, this gift comes with a hefty warning from God.  "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more harshly." (James 3:1, NIV)   It is a highly important gift because it aides in helping the church to understand God's word correctly.  This gift is meant to help bring God's word to life, to help clarify the truth found in Scripture and to do so without compromising the mystery and integrity that lies within the life-giving, life-changing pages of the Bible.

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Teaching here's a few things you might recognize about yourself.  You love God's word and it drives you crazy when a verse is taken out of context and used incorrectly or paraphrased to the point of losing it's proper meaning and application.  You love to study and research a word, a passage or a concept from the Bible and see how it works in to the rest of God's word.  You feel comfortable behind a podium.  You would never consider teaching on anything unprepared.  In fact, you over prepare.  You want what you teach to be clear, concise and understandable to your listeners.  This is also your greatest fault.  You can beat a concept to death.  You can become so detailed in your explanation and application that you lose your listeners.  You can monopolize the conversation in an effort to get your point across.  As I mentioned earlier, you can become a bore.  (Sorry.)  I know because this is my gift and I've been there.  Now, those who know me probably would not say that I monopolize a conversation, but that's only due to the fact that I'm fairly introverted and a little shy.  My problem comes when I write.  I've been told that what I write is too long (I believe the term was "long-winded") and that I run the risk of losing the interest of my readers.  The problem isn't writing about my subject.  The problem is going back through and knowing what to chop out because it ALL SEEMS SOOOO IMPORTANT!  The comfort zone of teaching will vary from person to person.  You might enjoy one on one time as opposed to a classroom full of students or you might love a lecture hall where you can have undivided attention from people who want to hear everything you have to say on a subject.  Or, you might love the quiet work of writing.  Personally, I love a classroom and a podium (provided I am thoroughly prepared), but I have most recently found a love for writing Bible studies.

A friend of mine who clearly exhibits the Motivational Gift of Teaching is a lovely, loving, warm and highly intelligent person who is always thorough in her subject matter and I can count on her to give me a clearer understanding of the topic than I had before.  She has one problem, though: when she invites questions during her teaching time it is always towards the very end of the class time after she has realized she has (and apologized for) taking up too much time.  Then, when a question is presented she spends what little time is left and beyond addressing it and leaving no time for anyone else.  This is simply due to the fact that she has spent so much of the class time making sure the material is understood . . . thoroughly . . . from every angle.  Again, I've been guilty myself.  This is clearly an example of what not to do.  The person with this gift, however, has the incredible opportunity to make a huge difference in his/her listeners just by establishing a few simple classroom rules and learning a few simple teaching techniques.

Although it varies from person to person, some other things common to those with this gift is a love to read and a love for charts, graphs and lists.  You will probably find yourself questioning others who try to teach you and pick apart their theology.  It's possible that you love the research more than the teaching but teach you must because nobody else will teach it is well as you.  The telling of any account must be factual and not exaggerated.  You are concerned for the truth of God's word and once convinced of the truth you are not easily swayed.  You are more apt to want to help build up believers than to help make new believers.  In other words, you typically do not enjoy evangelism.  You would rather teach Discipleship 101 to new believers than to share your faith with someone who is not a believer.  Don't worry.  This does not make you heartless.  It's not that you don't want to see people get saved.  On the contrary, you want those who love evangelism to evangelize so that you can fill up your Discipleship 101 class with new believers and help them on their way to deeper truth.

Let's look at an example from Scripture: Luke, the quintessential teacher.  The Book of Luke is the longest of the four gospels.  Luke wrote his gospel so that the full truth might be made known.  "Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:3-4, NIV)  I don't know about you, but I can just feel Luke's need to make sure that a factual account was being given.  He is oozing with accuracy in the telling of his account, plus he carefully investigated it.  Bless his heart.  He made sure that no important facts were being left out or exaggerated causing the account to lose credibility.  He researched it, told it straight, backed it up.  It was very important for Luke (a physician by trade) to include as many facts as possible, and so his account is longer than the accounts of Matthew, Mark and John.  Plus, we also give him credit for the writing of the Book of Acts which is a thoroughly informative account of the formation of the early church.

Now . . . about that warning.  Some things cannot be known.  Regarding some concepts, no amount of research is going to give you an answer.  Just because you have this gift doesn't make you 100% correct about everything.  In Matthew 23, Jesus severely judges the Pharisees and teachers of the Law for not handling God's word correctly.  He accuses them of keeping His people from finding Him -- the very thing they were supposed to do.  They were haughty with knowledge and pious without understanding of the spiritual disciplines of grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and love, to say the least.  Micah 6:8 is applicable here for the teacher: "He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Look to and trust the Spirit of Truth who "will guide you into all truth!" (John 16:13)  So, do not be afraid to teach for teach you must, but do your homework and walk humbly.  A little trepidation is healthy.  It is no small thing to handle the Word of God.

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Teaching, here's what you need to do.  First, learn to recognize when you have monopolized the time and/or conversation, but, more importantly, learn to avoid it in the first place.  In a lecture style environment this is fine, but in a Bible study or Sunday school class it's not so fine.  People want to be invited to add their own thoughts and questions to the mix.  Learn to listen as well as you talk.  Be willing, in fact, be expecting to learn from your students.  (Remember: humbly.)  Second, create a learning environment wherein your students feel free to share and are safe from ridicule.  Establishing some classroom rules like, "Everybody has a voice here," and "There are no dumb questions," make it easy for you and your students to learn.  It's more important for your students to find their own way to the truth than it is for you to share all the minutia of detail on your subject, so create a joyful and safe path for them to do so.  Students will learn better if they can figure some things out for themselves.  Third, keep it simple.  If you are the kind of teacher that LOVES research and needs answers then know this: some questions are unanswerable, some topics are going to be controversial, and some people are going to remain unconvinced.  By all means glean all the information your little heart desires on a subject but do not expect everyone else to be as interested or as convinced as you.  Being too detailed and too technical is no way to influence your listeners.  Accuracy is good but not to the point that you are dwelling on the trivial.  Fourth, you must leave room for the mystery of God.  Mystery begs for the space to just be -- to just mysteriously be enjoyed -- to remain a mystery, and God is FULL of mystery!

Humbly,
Kerry

NOTE:  The description of each gift is based on the highest score possible for an individual.  You may find that only certain things are true for you and the rest is only true to a certain measure.  We are individuals created by an infinitely creative God.  We do not fit any certain mold.  These descriptions help you to understand why you see things a certain way, why you act a certain way and why some things are more important to you than other things.  Most of us will score fairly high in 2 or 3 gifts and how these gifts rank and what God has you involved in at the time will determine how well these gift descriptions speak to your individual personality.

THE MOTIVATIONAL GIFT OF SERVING

". . .if it is serving, let him serve." (Romans 12:7a, NIV)

I love Servers!  I do!  I love them!  They do everything I am unlikely (sometimes unwilling) to do.

The word Server comes from the Greek word "Diakonia" which means "service."  It's where we get the word Deacon (1 Timothy 3).  Other words used for this gift are "helps" and "ministering."

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Serving, here are some things you might like to know about yourself.  You are practical in the way you approach life.  For you, if something needs fixed or cleaned up you are quick to respond.  You are happiest taking care of the behind the scenes tasks like tightening screws, cleaning up after a meal, changing light bulbs, taking out the trash.  You typically do not like being in the spotlight.  You would rather take care of all the menial tasks there are to do than to just sit and visit with those around you.  (That does not mean you are unfriendly!)  You find it hard to say no when asked to take care of something that needs fixed or cleaned up.  You could easily be a workaholic.  Servers sometimes feel they are insignificant in and unappreciated by the church (and even at home) because they do not always get a "thank you" or "well done" for their work.  We take you for granted.  It's true.  For my part, I apologize!  You are VERY appreciated and your significance is unmatched.

God has gifted a lot of people with this motivation -- probably because there is always so much that needs to be done.  God understands about the details of life.  I have known many Servers in my life, but one in particular stands out.  A long time friend of ours, this man was seriously, deliriously happy taking out the trash or fixing a squeaky hinge.  One time after a meal at our church I was helping to clean up in the kitchen (serving is not my gift but I was trying to exercise it *smile*).  I went to throw something in the trash and realized that it was so full it had become unusable.  I shouted out to no one in particular, "Someone needs to take out the trash!"  It didn't occur to me at the moment to take it out myself.  My reaction to the full trash can comes from a different motivation.  I didn't mean to be rude, I was just trying to help by letting someone know that this needed to be done.  (See?  I'm not a Server.)  Our friend came running, sorry that he hadn't noticed it sooner, and rushed it out to the dumpster, but not before putting a new bag in the can so that we could continue or work.  Servers are great people!

Do not confuse this Motivational Gift of Serving with a gift for hospitality.  They can differ.  I should know because although Serving is not my gift, there is nothing I love more than being a great hostess.  I love to make people feel exceptionally welcome in my home.  I spend hours setting the table just right, picking out just the right color of napkins and napkin rings.  When I have overnight guests I want the sheets I put on their bed so fresh that they still smell like soap!  I am adamant about going last in the serving line for a dinner in my home. I always seat myself very close to the kitchen so that I have quick and easy access to the food and drinks.  And I hate it when people feel that they need to help me clean up.  When they're in my home I just want them to sit and relax and enjoy!  Servers are very uncomfortable with the idea of just sitting like this.  This is not to say that a person motivated to serve cannot have a gift for hospitality, it just doesn't always go hand in hand.

Let's look at an example from Scripture: Martha, the quintessential server.

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."  (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

No matter how you've read this passage in the past, it is NOT a passage about how Mary is better than Martha because she was sitting at Jesus' feet instead of helping her sister.  It is not about Jesus being disappointed in Martha because she was neglecting Him for all the details of serving guests.  On the contrary, this passage points out the necessity of what both Mary and Martha had to offer.  Mary loves to worship.  She has one foot on earth and one foot in heaven.  Max Lucado says these are the people you want praying for you.  Martha, on the other hand, is motivated to serve.  It is how she does life.  I think that Max Lucado has it right.  In his book Cast of Characters, listen to what he writes:  Every church needs a Martha.  Change that.  Every church needs a hundred Marthas.  Sleeves rolled and ready, they keep the pace for the church.  Because of Marthas, the church budget gets balanced, the church babies get bounced, and the church building gets built.  You don't appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing, and then all the Marys and Lazaruses are scrambling around looking for keys and the thermostats and the overhead projectors.

Mary and Martha just do life differently.  (But this, my friends, is exactly what I'm talking about when approaching the subject of spiritual gifts!  One body, many parts.)  Mary is seated, worshiping Jesus.  Martha is angry because she thinks that everyone should have the same priorities as her.  There's a hundred things that need to be done in order to feed their house full of guests.  And, all these things really do need to be done.  Martha sees Mary's actions as impractical, inconsiderate and a little lazy so she complains to Jesus, "Tell her to help me!"  Her issue at the moment is that she has forgotten to serve the Master.  She has forgotten that her service to Him is in serving His guests.  This is her personal act of worship.  Jesus is not condemning Martha for not sitting at His feet.  He understands the details of life.  Instead He's reminding Martha to choose what is better: worship Him in her service.  If we were all like Mary instead of Martha, life around us would become the equivalent of a dump.  Does any of this sound familiar, dear Server?  It's hard for you to understand why others aren't as practical about the details of life as you.  For you, the practical needs easily trump the spiritual needs.

If you scored high in the Motivational Gift of Serving, here's what you need to do.  First, know that it's OK to say "no" once in a while.  It's not going to feel good and you'll most likely feel guilty for saying it, but it's OK!  Do not allow yourself to be a workaholic around the church or around your home.  Stop.  Rest.  Ask God to help you become conscious of overworking and then to give you the wisdom and strength to say "no."  Second, remember that your family needs you.  Your children won't remember you for all those jobs you did around the church.  The rest of us might, but your children won't.  Third, and this cannot be overstated: DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR SPIRITUAL NEEDS!  Even though for you straightening things up or making sure tomorrow's list of jobs is already written down feels like a spiritual experience, it DOES NOT take the place of time spent in prayer, in quiet, in reflection, in the Word.  Even though this is when you feel the least productive, it is when you are actually the most productive.  Fourth, remember Whom you serve!  It is not the church, it is not the pastor and it is definitely not me.  You serve the One who gifted you with this unique and special motivation.  Your reward is from serving Him and Him alone.  Fifth, be merciful with those who do not jump up to take out the trash!  Instead, invite someone whom you suspect does not have this particular gift to grab a bag of trash and join you in the experience.

Serving Him,
Kerry

NOTE:  The description of each gift is based on the highest score possible for an individual.  You may find that only certain things are true for you and the rest is only true to a certain measure.  We are individuals created by an infinitely creative God.  We do not fit any certain mold.  These descriptions help you to understand why you see things a certain way, why you act a certain way and why some things are more important to you than other things.  Most of us will score fairly high in 2 or 3 gifts and how these gifts rank and what God has you involved in at the time will determine how well these gift descriptions speak to your individual personality.

THE MOTIVATIONAL GIFT OF PROPHECY

". . . If a man's gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith."  (Romans 12:6b, NIV)

Prophecy (or, Prophet) is the only gift that shows up in each of the gifts lists (Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12).  This gift has a different purpose, however, in each of the three areas.  We are discussing here the Motivational Gift of Prophecy in Romans 12.  Scoring high in this gift does not mean that you are gifted in the other two uses of the Prophecy gift.  Using it "in proportion to his faith" simply means that you are to exercise your gift in the power of God but with a reliance on Him.

The Motivational Gift of Prophecy does not mean that you can foretell the future.  It does not mean that you will speak words given directly by God.  It means that you hold the Word of God in the highest regard.  The Word of God alone is the only gauge by which you measure a person's actions, thoughts and motivations.  It means that you will hold the rest of our feet to the fire and aide in keeping the Body on track and lined up with God's Word.

Let's look at an example from Scripture: the Prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah is a great example because he had the gift of prophecy operating in his life as a motivational gift, a ministry gift and as a manifestation gift.  He was the quintessential prophet.  Everything he did and said was motivated by his love for God and his strong desire for right and wrong.  He said whatever God told him to say to the people and to the king at the cost of his reputation and later his life.  He was considered by most to be harsh and uncaring.  The leaders of the day, both Jewish and Gentile, wanted him to stay quiet.  He could not, though.  He was a highly motivated prophet.  Isaiah, chapter 1 gives you a good taste of how this prophet operated and how he saw life and people.

If you scored high in Prophecy in your Spiritual Gifts Assessment, here are some interesting things you may want to know about yourself.  For you, everything is black and white.  You don't operate in the gray areas of life.  The gray areas in life are nothing; they are non-places.  You feel that people need to get right with God, seek His will and walk in it; or, get out of the way.  Things are either right or wrong.  If you see someone doing something sinful, it's hard for you to hold back the truth that can set them right.  I've known some who would give you a severe beating with the Word.  At the very least, you call sin what it is: sin.  Only through the development of humility in your own life do you become more tempered in your views.  The development of humility in anyone's life is God's job.

You are probably highly conscious of the political atmosphere, suspicious of quick church growth, somewhat critical of contemporary culture, very aware of the public unrighteousness that surrounds you and ever ready to shout at the injustice of the world.  You understand God's grace and mercy best when it follows a heart that has turned back to the Lord.  Isaiah 1:16-20 says this:

Wash and make yourselves clean.  Take your evil deeds out of my sight!  Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.  "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword."  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

 I hope you can see through the eyes of this prophet the black and white and the wrong and right that he sees.  I hope you can see through his eyes how mercy is given when hearts turn back to the Lord.

You can be a little scary for others in the Body.  Like Isaiah, you are often misunderstood and mistook for cold and uncaring, harsh, lacking grace and mercy (though that is not necessarily how you feel).  You are often uncomfortably direct and you never lie.  Your words can come out sounding judgmental, but all you really want is for others to wake up and understand the importance and urgency of knowing God and living right.  Because of this, others think you need to relax a bit.  They probably would prefer that you stay quiet because more times than not you will offend someone by calling sin, sin.  Enter your complete reliance on God.

This gift is most often found operating alongside the Motivational Gift of Teaching, but typically, if you scored high in this gift, you probably only scored average at best in something else.  I knew a person with this motivational gift who also had the gift of Serving.  What you won't find working alongside this gift is the Motivational Gift of Mercy.  It just doesn't happen.  The person with the Motivational Gift of Mercy deals in ALL of the gray areas of life.  In fact, many times you butt heads with the mercy people and they with you.  You have a hard time understanding the other one.  Although there are some pastors with the Motivational Gift of Prophecy, they typically come with the gift of Mercy; therefore, they can have a difficult time with you.

When the Holy Spirit is in control of your gift you are highly regarded and others will seek you out for spiritual direction.  When YOU are in control you become a pain in the rear.  (I say that in the most loving way!)  Know this: I already regard you!  My husband and my oldest daughter have this motivational gift.  I know you well.

Here's what you need to do if you have this gift.  First, do not be quiet, but do become selective in your moments to point out sin.  To be quiet would be to neglect your gift.  To be selective is being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's direction regarding when and when not to speak up.  Second, allow the Holy Spirit to work in you the fruit of gentleness so that others may hear you without feeling fear and condemnation.  Ephesians 4:15 says to "speak the truth in love."  Third, cultivate mercy.  It may not be your gift, but it is your calling as a child of God and a member of the Body of Christ.  Strive to find harmony with some, not all, but some gray areas because this is where most people live.  God is merciful and so should you be.  Fourth, work with your pastor, not against him.  Heed his words as a member of his fold.  It is not your job to convict others of sin, it is the Holy Spirit's job.

You are precious!  God gave this gift to the Body for the good of the Body.  Hopefully, I have clarified this.  The Body cannot thrive without you.  Because of your willingness to speak out on behalf of righteousness, it makes it a little easier for the rest of us to find the line in the sand.

Word!
Kerry

NOTE:  The description of each gift is based on the highest score possible for an individual.  You may find that only certain things are true for you and the rest is only true to a certain measure.  We are individuals created by an infinitely creative God.  We do not fit any certain mold.  These descriptions help you to understand why you see things a certain way, why you act a certain way and why some things are more important to you than other things.  Most of us will score fairly high in 2 or 3 gifts and how these gifts rank and what God has you involved in at the time will determine how well these gift descriptions speak to your individual personality.

Happy Birthday!

I've been wanting to write a study on the Spiritual Gifts found in Romans 12:6-8 for some time now. It's a bit of a pet project of mine. I think they are important and understanding them helps us to live in peace and freedom with each other. For some, a study on the Spiritual Gifts may seem redundant. You've already been there, done that. For some of you who read this, it may be the first time you've ever studied this topic. Think of it, if you will, like a birthday party and these are gifts of God -- for you! Presents to be opened and used to better your life and the lives of those around you. Whoever you are, let me challenge you to to take a(nother) look at what it means to be given spiritual gifts from God.

There are many studies out there on this topic and you'll even find some that differ slightly in theology from this one. Hopefully, though, you'll find this to be a balanced and useful approach. I will focus mainly on the Spiritual Gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 as opposed to the ones listed in Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12. I will, however, explain a bit about how these 3 sets of gifts differ in a later post. The gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 are: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging (or Exhortation), Giving, Leadership (or Administration) and Mercy. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." (NIV)

The gifts listed in Romans 12 are sometimes called the Motivational Gifts. The gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are sometimes referred to as the Ministry Gifts. The gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are sometimes called the Manifestation Gifts. I find it easier to remember the 3 sets of gifts by using the 3 "M" words; and, it helps to differentiate their unique purposes in the Body.

Your motivational gifts are built into your personality. They affect the way you do God's work and the way you respond to God's work. They are a part of your natural drives and human tendencies. They motivate your choices in life and are the reason you find more joy doing some things more than others. Your gifts affect how well you get along with others. Your gifts are to be nurtured and celebrated!

Your motivational gifts differ from the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The Fruit of the Spirit are characteristics or virtues produced in each one of us by the Holy Spirit. We are all called to live a life that will not hinder the complete development of each and every fruit. We are to possess every fruit -- not every gift. As you discover what your gifts are it will be important to keep in mind that even though you might find that you score high in Prophecy, for example, that does not mean you are to neglect showing Mercy.

Motivational Gifts also differ from specific roles in the Church, like teaching Sunday school or helping to serve a meal. You may be a Sunday school teacher and find that you don't score very high in the gift of Teaching. However, since you are already serving as a Sunday school teacher you should definitely remain one until God directs you otherwise. These gifts will, however, affect how you do any Christian service. Your motivational gift will cause you to do this task differently than someone else who is doing the same task. Sometimes God will call you out of your zone of comfort to do a job that does not come as easily for you. A task that you find yourself literally dragging your feet to do. But what you bring to the job is your unique set of gifts that cause others to grow and stretch, too. Plus, it will cause you to exercise the other motivational gifts that are not so prevalent in your life. Not to perfect them, but to exercise them.

Let me give you an example from my own life. I typically score the highest on Spiritual Gifts tests in Teaching, Leadership and Encouraging. These 3 come easiest for me. What does not come easy for me is the gift of Serving or Giving. Every once in a while, though, I find myself in a situation where I must help with serving a meal or handing over what little cash I may be carrying for that special trip to Starbucks. I grumble a little (sadly). I do. But, doing these things helps me to exercise those areas where I fall short. Just because they are not my particular Spiritual Gifts strengths does not mean that I am allowed to neglect them or opt out of them altogether. It just means that these things do not come as easily for me. I do not jump up and volunteer for them. The do not bring me as much joy as they bring to others who do have these strengths. I used to feel guilty about not really wanting to do these things. After all, what kind of a Christian doesn't want to serve food in a soup line or give a measly $5.00 to someone more needy. Let me tell you right now it is a waste of emotion. God has equipped you in a certain way and there is freedom in allowing yourself to be who God made you to be! Hence, the Body of Christ! Many parts, one body. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function." (Romans 12:4, NIV)

In the sidebar you will find a link for a Spiritual Gifts test you can take online and get your results within seconds. Although this one adds two other gifts to the list found in Romans 12 (Pastor/Shepherd and Evangelism), I feel it will give you an accurate assessment without taking forever to finish. The two extra gifts listed are gifts found in Ephesians 4 and I believe they do not belong in this list. It won't hurt anything though and its the best test I could find for free. Once you've taken the test and gotten your results, do not look only for your strongest score. Instead, find your top 3 and begin to look for how they work together in your life and ministry. (If Pastor/Shepherd or Evangelism is one of your top 3 then find the fourth one on the list to replace those. We will talk about these gifts later.) If you are under 20 or still young in your faith you might want to consider taking a Spiritual Gifts test once a year for 5 years because you may not yet have a clear understanding of your desires and limitations. Your desires and limitations will grow and/or change with time. If you happen to score extremely high in one area and score average or low in all of the others, this is a good indicator, no matter your age, that this one gift is significantly present. Take heed, though. It could also mean that it needs to be tempered and refined in you. Just a little personal note: I find my scores for Teaching and Leadership to go back and forth depending on how God is using me in the Body at the time.

Through the next weeks, we will study each gift in turn. We will discuss how it works -- for good and for bad -- and its relationship to the other gifts.

Remember, these are gifts from God! He has formed you and knit you together with His loving hands to be the person you are! The gifts you have are not a mistake. They should not be taken lightly. They should be received with thanksgiving! My prayer is that this study will help you find joy in the Body.

Happy birthday!

New post coming soon! I'm going to start a study on the gifts of the Spirit, focusing mainly on the motivational gifts. Watch for it! (Soon. I promise.(

HiStory

From the beginning of time, it's been His story. We walk into it. He doesn't adjust His story for our entrance. We've been a part of it from the beginning.

Some of you know that I've been participating in a Bible study called "The Bible in 90 Days." Obviously, the idea being that you read through the Bible in 90 days, which breaks down to 12 pages a day. It's a bit of challenge, but has proven to be well worth my time, and, well . . . amazing!

In regards to this study, I hear many comments about "this God" of the Old Testament. I hear comments like, "I'm having a hard time reconciling this God of the Old Testament with the God I know," and, "How can a loving God annihilate entire nations?" or, "The Israelites were supposed to kill the women and children, too?" All good questions. Questions worth asking. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case in many portions of scripture, there just aren't enough good answers. But, there are some.

Here's some things I've come up with (for whatever it's worth). God is a mighty big God. There is so much about Him to learn. It's taken millenniums to know what little we do know about Him. But, just as the New Testament gives a larger picture of God's grace, I think the Old Testament gives us a larger picture of God's holiness. Sin is sin and there is certainly nothing new under the sun. However, reading the Old Testament the way that I have (in very large chunks) has given me a clearer snapshot of the blatant sin of idol worship going on at the time. The world was still rather new, relatively speaking. Nations were still new. God was introducing Himself to those He put on the earth, and it was Israel's job to help the other nations know who the one true living God was. It's not that God cared nothing for the other nations. On the contrary, He made His works known to the other nations through the miracles He performed on behalf of the Israelites. Through the Israelites, He wanted the other nations to see that He was not like the other "so-called gods." He was not a golden calf or any other handmade sculpture that had eyes but could not see, a nose but could not smell, ears but could not hear, a mouth but could speak. Through the miracles and the devastations He was making it known loud and clear, "I AM the God of Universe and you will have no other gods before Me!" Commandment #1! It's His story.

"And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23, NIV)

"Joshua said to the people: 'You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgie your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.' " (Joshua 24:19-20, NIV)

It was a harsh time. And, it's hard to take it all in. For those of us who have entered His story during this present time of grace find it very difficult to adjust to this holy God. Well, be assured! God has not changed! He is the same holy God today that He was then. The difference is that Jesus came and stepped into the middle of the story. God's gift to human beings! Grace! God is still angered by our idolatry, but instead of me being annihilated Jesus paid the price for it. So when God looks at me, He sees Jesus (the picture of holiness and righteousness!) because Jesus lives in me!

It's always been about grace. The God of grace of the New Testament is the same holy God of the Old Testament. But what is also true is that this same God of grace ia alive and well in the Old Testament. In Isaiah we read how God sent prophet after prophet to the other nations in order to give them opportunity to repent and turn to Him. We read the same in Jonah with the city of Nineveh. God is a God of grace. Except for a few instances like Rahab, we're not told of countless souls who repented and chose to trust God and were saved from the annihilation. Anytime it's written how someone did in fact turn towards the Living God we see that God was compassionate and merciful and gracious to that person and saved them from destruction. Just like today! When reading the Old Testament, and you come across things that seem harsh on God's part and difficult to understand or reconcile, it's always safe to weigh it against the rest of His character. Don't stop at His holiness --begin with it and end with His grace!

This is His story! We are invited in. More than that, we were planned for! You and me! Since the beginning of time, God planned for our entrance at this particular time and place in His story. "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would see Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27, NIV) What's more, His story is His responsibility. He bears the weight of history! He is a big God! Full of grace! Full of mercy! Full of compassion! Very Holy! Justice is His name!

"God's Message:

'Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don't let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don't let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:

That you understand and know me.
I'm God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what's right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.'

God's decree."

(Jeremiah 9:23-24, The Message)

It's HiStory! You have been invited in! Trust in His full character at all times!