Knowing Your Spiritual Gifts

This is an exercise to assist you in determining your dominant spiritual gifts (Rm. 12:6-8)

Print out this questionnaire. Circle all those that apply to you.

Prophecy (I Co 14:3& 31)

Characteristics of one with a gift of prophecy:

1. The need to express thoughts & ideas verbally, especially regarding right & wrong.

2. Has a tendency to make quick judgments.

3. Senses when something or someone is not what they appear to be. Reacts harshly to dishonesty.

4. Desires justice, even though it may result in rejection.

5. Can be open about personal faults & failures; honest about himself and others.

6. Tends to be impulsive in his actions; to be wholeheartedly involved in whatever is done.

7. Tends to be painfully direct when correcting friends.

8. Has a total commitment and great evidences of loyalty.

9. Is willing to suffer for doing what is right.

10. Is very persuasive in defining what is right and what is wrong.

Misuses of the gift of prophecy:

1. Correcting those for whom they have no responsibility.

2. Jumps to conclusions too quickly.

3. Reinforcing a condemning spirit.

4. Judging rather than restoring.

5. Quick to cut off those who have failed.

6. Tends to dwell on the negative.

7. Often not cautious or tactful when expressing opinions.

8. Demands a person respond positively to a harsh rebuke.

9. Hard on themselves when they fail.

10. Accuses others of deception if they do not fully reveal faults.

Ministry (Service) (Gal 5:13)

Characteristics of one with a gift of service:

1. Can see practical needs & has a desire to meet them.

2. Has joy in serving others so they can do more important things.

3. Disregards personal health & comfort in order to serve others.

4. Has difficulty in saying no. Has a tendency to get sidetracked.

5. Gain great enjoyment in providing for physical needs and comforts of others.  Can’t remember likes & dislikes of others.

6. Has a need for appreciation and a desire for clear instruction.

7. Strong desire to be with others (provides more opportunity to serve).

8. Likes short-range projects & can become frustrated with long-range responsibility.

9. Feels inadequate & unqualified for spiritual leadership.

Misuses of the gift of service:

1. Often neglects home responsibilities to help others.

2. Tends to accept too many jobs at one time.

3. Tends to wear themselves out physically.

4. Often gives un-requested help to others.

5. Finds themselves going around proper authorities in order to get jobs done.

6. Doesn’t let others help on a job.

7. Quick to help and therefore interfere with God’s discipline by premature help.

8. Easily hurt by ungratefulness of those who were helped.

9. Gets sidetracked while working on an assignment.

Teaching (Heb. 5:12)

Characteristics of one with a gift of teaching:

1. Has the need to validate the truth; to certify statements which have been made by others.

2. Has the tendency to validate new truth by established systems of truth.

3. Has the need to give teaching credentials before speaking in order to get others to listen.

4. Wants to present truth in a systematic sequence.

5. He has a need for research & telling as many facts as possible.

6. He has an emphasis on accuracy in teaching.

7. He wants to make sure factual details are told which are not noticed or mentioned by others.

8. Has a tendancy to remain silent until information has been heard, observed and discussed.

9. Has a need to exercise diligence & endurance.

Misuses of the gift of teaching:

1. Proud of their knowledge.

2. Has the tendency to discount the practical wisdom of those who are uneducated.

3. Can be skeptical of other teachers.

4. Tends to be critical of sound teaching because of technical flaws.

5. Tend to depend on human wisdom rather than the Holy Spirit’s teaching.

6. Gives information that lacks practical application.

7. Can be boring to listeners because of details of research.

8. Retreats into their own world of books.

Exhortation (Heb 3:13)

Characteristics of one with a gift of exhortation:

1. Motivated to urge people to full spiritual maturity in Christ.

2. Able to discern the spiritual growth of a person and then to speak to that level.

3. Able to give precise steps of action in urging people toward maturity.

4. A need to explain truth with logical reasoning in order to gain acceptance.

5. Able to visualize spiritual achievements for people and motivate them to action.

6. Face to face discussion is important in order to know and insure a positive response.

7. Able to identify with people of different backgrounds, interests and types in order to talk to more people.

8. Motivated by bringing harmony between diverse groups of people; helping others know that harmony is basic to spiritual maturity.

9. Able to welcome personal tribulation as a chief motivator of spiritual growth.

Misuses of the gift of exhortation:

1. Prematurely raising the expectations of others.

2. Taking family time to counsel others.

3. Treats family & friends as projects rather than persons.

4. Often shares private illustrations without permission.

5. Starting new projects before finishing existing ones.

6. Tendency to want others to depend on them rather than God as their authority.

7. Often trusts visible results rather than true change of heart.

8. Often lacks proper emphasis on basic Bible doctrines.

9. Quick to give council before discerning the type of person or problem.

Giving (II Co 9:7)

Characteristics of one with a gift of giving:

1. Ability to discern wise investments so there will be more money to give away.

2. A desire to give quietly without recognition.

3. Sees it important to give as “unto the Lord” at His leading, not just to please men.

4. A desire to give gifts which are of value and high quality.

5. Able to perceive faithfulness and wisdom by how people handle funds.

6. A tendency to practice personal frugality and go without for the sake of giving to others.

7. Quick to see what others do with their money.

8. Able to see financial needs which others tend to overlook.

9. A desire to use giving as a way to motivate others to give.  A cheerleader of giving.

Misuses of the gift of giving:

1. Sometimes allow their own family’s needs to be given low priority.

2. Causes family to resent gifts given to others.

3. Tends to listen to unscriptural counseling on money management.

4. Pressures people to give, who have less to give.

5. Not always able to discern God’s prompting for giving.

6. Judging, instead of advising those who misuse funds.

7. Controls people or ministries with gifts.

8. Corrupts people by giving too much or wrongly.

9. Investing in projects which do not benefit others.

Ruling (Leading) (Mk 10:43-45)

Characteristics of one with the gift of ruling:

1. Able to visualize the final results of a major undertaking.

2. An ability to break down major goals into smaller achievable tasks.

3. Finds out what resources are available and what is needed to reach the goal.

4. Tends to get himself removed from distracting details so he can focus on end results.

5. Not willing to let others reactions keep him from reaching his ultimate goal.

6. Needs those who are being directed and served to be loyal and have confidence in his leadership.

7. Able to know what he should and should not delegate to others.

8. An ability to inspire and encourage workers by cheerfulness, approval, praise, and challenge.

9. Has real joy and satisfaction when the finished product comes together.

Misuses of the gift of ruling:

1. Sees people as human resources rather than human beings.

2. Willing to use people to accomplish personal goals.

3. Shows favoritism to those whom they think are more loyal.

4. Takes charge of projects which are not God’s direction.

5. Delegates more work to others than should be given.

6. Overlooks serious character faults in valuable workers.

7. Is unresponsive to suggestions by others.

8. Sometimes fails to give clear explanations and proper praise to workers.

Showing Mercy (I Pt 3:8)

Characteristics of one with the gift of showing mercy:

1. An ability to sense genuine love.

2. Vulnerable to frequent hurts.

3. A need for deep friendship in which there is mutual commitment.

4. Tends to react harshly when seeing intimate friendships broken.

5. More concern over emotional situations than over physical.

6. Those with mental or emotional distress are attracted to them.

7. A need to measure acceptance by physical closeness and quality time together.

8. Quick to remove the causes of hurt rather than look for the benefit from them.

9. Desire to avoid decisions or to be firm and decisive.

Misuses of the gift of showing mercy:

1. Often not firm and decisive when necessary.

2. Takes up offenses for those who have been hurt.

3. Makes decisions on emotions rather than on principles.

4. Prompts improper affections from those of the opposite sex.

5. Breaks off fellowship with those who are insensitive to others.

6. Interferes in God’s purpose being fulfilled in people’s trials & sufferings.

7. Sympathizes with people when they are violating God’s standards.

8. Friendships easily become overly possessive.

Note: The above lists were compiled by professional Christian counselors over years of research and we are eternally grateful to them for their work.

Count the circles for each list of characteristics and misuses to discover your stronger spiritual gift(s) i.e. those with the most circles.

Prophecy ____   Ministry (Serving) ____   Teaching ____   Exhortation ____

Giving ____   Ruling (Leading) ____   Show Mercy ____

Use your dominant gifts for your “reasonable” service to the Lord (Rm. 12:2) as a young Christian, and, as you mature, stretch yourself in order to develop those gifts you are weaker in for a real blessing.  Challenge yourself in working for Him if you desire to grow for Him.  Let your Pastor know what your gifts are so he can plug you in where you belong.

Remember: Jesus Christ possesses each of these gifts and is the epitome of how to use these gifts.  We as children of God are be like Christ and are to follow Him (Rm 8:29, Lk 9:23).

Taught and made available by: Steve Gaida, Calvary Baptist Church, Uniontown, Pennsylvania