Gifted to serveI have not really checked this out. I do not know who wrote this or anything else about it's origin. I am not suggesting that you do this....Required warning labels aside....
My neighbor and I were talking about spiritual gifts. She had just taken a Spiritual Gifts Inventory on-line. We were talking about how our gifts can change by weakening and strengthening. She is the most Hospitable person I have ever met. She practices hospitality in a 100 ways daily. It was no surprise to me that the inventory rated hospitality far and away her strongest gift.
Rob and I both took the Inventory last night. It is interesting to look at what this test determined to be our gifts. Of course Rob and I both scored a big ZERO in Speaking tongues and Interetation of tongues.(Mae~What was that saying about running from a raisin?:) Rob had two tieing first place gifts, Healing and Service followed closely by Hospitality and in third place...Administration. I think this test did Rob an injustice in the Giving category. He is by far one of the most giving individuals I have ever met. Faith came in forth on his survey but I also think it is really one of his strongest gifts.
Q~ I am going to have to join your heretic club. My top score was a four way tie...Administration, Hospitality, Knowledge and Teaching. Followed closely by a three way tie for Shepherding, Intercession and "Helps". Prophecy came in a lone third. What that means I do not know. I think I should retest at a later date. I was feeling particularly sensitive in some areas based on an earlier discussion, so I may have biased the test. But as a whole I think my gifts are in more communicative and organizational areas.
Rob and I both learned a new word. "Ekballism". He scored a 1 and I scored a 3 on that one! We were suprised by the gifts where he scored high and I scored low and vice versa. Though we are still unsure what the implications of that are, we do have some shared gifts such as Administartion and Hospitality. As a couple we will try harder to pursue roles that utilize those gifts. As I said, I do not endorse this, but it did make for a lively discussion on spiritual gifts.
What are your spiritual gifts? Or what gifts do you most admire in others?
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I have been thinking about teaching a class on spiritual gifts for about a year. I just haven't found the right material. Maybe this test would be a good jumping in point. I took it this morning, and I too scored ZERO in tounges! My strongest gift was giving followed by knowledge, faith, and then a three way tie for teaching/administration and helps. I am not sure I agree with all the survey says, but wouldn't it be wonderful to focus on a couple of areas to feel accomplishment in rather that a lot of areas to feel frustrated by? Thanks for the post. I need to think about how I can incorporate this.
DJG ~ In the defintion part of this survey gifts are described as leadership, pratical, communication etc. type gifts. In retrospect, I think it may tell me more that my "strongest gifts" are communication gifts and leadership gifts followed by practical gifts where as Rob's gifts are more of the practical nature. I would like to take a class on Spiritual gifts. Any good reading suggestions?
My strongest gifts lie in the areas of leadership, teaching, and shepherding. I love to see how gifts play out. I think that church staff members, elders, and deacons should be selected on the basis of spiritual gifts and how they would lead a congregation, rather than resume or popularity. I also think that church involvement should be done this way as well, rather than the "good ole boy" system. There are tons of people operating out of desire rather than gifts. That's selfishness and arrogance feeding such behavior. If I operate out of what I want to do, rather than what God has gifted me to do, then I'm nothing but a glory thief. I think this subject is most needed. Not so that we can feel warm and fuzzy about tongues or other miraculous gifts, but so we can figure out who the heck we are and where we fit in the body of CHrist.
Ok, just took the test (have done previous ones and they were similar in answers, but not the questinoings, and took about 4 or 5 hours to completely go through as a workshop). 1. Healing, 2. Intercession 3. Administration, Faith and Service 4. Mercy and 5. Missinos. (Could play into the whole Marriage and Family Therapy deal, ya think?)
I think the main difference was that the previous one I took was writtne by someone from Harding (or at least a c of Cer, I think) and this one, obviously not! It was interesting to see all of the differnet areas to work on trying to reach out for God ~ loved the spiritual demons questions and SOOO want to know and witness something like that... talk about pushing the envelope!
Well, this is a different sort of survey, but I think it nailed my top two pretty well. Mercy and Faith. I was rather surprised that Discerning of Spirits came next. Several ties for number 4 -- Apostle, Helps, Missionary, and Prophecy. Interesting stuff. Thanks for the link.
Where do you go online to take this inventory?
I have taken assessments like this in the past and usually score high on hospitality, encouragement and teaching. I suspect that healing would be in there, too.
Q may have several join her club. I have taken some secular assessments that indicated I should consider becoming a rabbi, priest or minister.
Oooops! Just found the link. Thanks! I am slow this morning. : )
Just took the inventory. No real surprises. On a different day, the top four might be in a different order.
Sometimes, life circumstances will stretch you in such a way where a gift will emerge toward the top that might not have been there previously.
Heh. I don't think it's "my" club. Sometimes I wonder if God isn't pushing the Huldah/Deborah envelope to challenge our comfort zones. I don't know.
I only now got a chance to respond to this. It's interesting. (And yes, according to this, I'm well into heresy for a c of C'er being called to exhortation, administration, shepherding and the like -- but it can't be all that accurate 'cause it also scores me high in wisdom and there don't seem to be any deductions for o'erweening pride or hubris. ^_~)
I am, however, of the opinion that we need more 'heretics.'
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