Spiritual Motivational Gifts

"For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." Romans 12:4-8 (NJKV)

As we have walked through some intense situations in recent weeks, I have observed how my sons deal with “life” in their own unique ways. It is precious to have years of training and wisdom that have been imparted through the ministry of Life Partners. One of my favorite parts of their curriculum is when we are taught about our spiritual motivational gifts, using Romans 12:4-8 as a reference. In a time such as this, it is a tremendous blessing to have understanding about these gifts, to help my sons see where they fit in the puzzle and to walk them through the positive and negative aspects of each of their gifts. Such knowledge also keeps me from growing frustrated with them for not handling things the way I would and keeps me from comparing them to each other. You won’t find me saying, “Why can’t you just be like your brother and do things this way?”

I have taken several spiritual gifts tests through time. This specific test is unique, as the list includes seven gifts—prophet, serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, organizing and mercy. Each spiritual motivational gift has it’s own set of strengths and weaknesses. For me, taking the test has a been a source of frustration, as I come out with two opposites (or complimentary) gifts as my highest scores—prophet and mercy, with organizing, giving, exhorting running one number lower. Serving is also on the charts and the best thing of all…teaching is my lowest, with only a “1.” That is no surprise. Despite the fact that I home school my children, I know I am not a natural born teacher. I am growing in this gift, but it is certainly not one I am naturally gifted in, or spiritually motivated in.

We are called to have qualities of all these gifts, to grow in those that we are weaker in, but there is usually one that is our main motivator. I especially enjoy helping the boys to see what their gifts are. I won’t put them in a box, but for this time and season, I am pretty certain that B is “prophet,” C is “exhorter” and J is “mercy.” It’s amazing to watch them walk through the exact same set of circumstances and handle things in three very different ways.

B is a typical firstborn and a natural born leader. It stands to reason that he would be the prophet. This gift is one that I misunderstood initially. I had visions of some roaming, self-proclaimed prophet who would show up on Sunday mornings at the church I grew up in. He would stand on the main level of the sanctuary and begin pointing out people in the congregation, along with specific sin issues in their lives. This image sent shivers up my spine. The spiritually motivated prophet is one who knows absolutes, right from wrong, black from white. There is no gray area for a prophet. It is what it is. A prophet is so bent on proclaiming truth that he/she may alienate him/herself from others by taking a stand. The positive side of this gift is that no one can easily convince a prophet to stray from what he/she believes. I remember when B’s fourth grade teacher gave him the character trait “Confident,” stating that “B knows where he stands and will not be led away by others.” In this time of shaking, I see B digging in his heels and growing stronger by the day. He knows who he is, he knows who God has made him to be and he is intense in his quest to be a stronger and more capable leader. He is also developing more of a hunger for the Word of God.

C is by far the exhorter. He wants to please others, he wants to make us laugh and keep the mood light, even when his own heart is hurting. This is the most difficult gift for me to be patient with, as I simply want to say “Don’t run from your feelings.” The fact is, C doesn’t really know what to do with those feelings and he needs me to help him to put names to them. Once I sit and give him a safe place to do this, he begins to open up and the depth of his emotions comes spilling out. C wants to be well liked and accepted everywhere he goes. He has a charismatic personality and is gifted at anything he tries—from academics to sports, board games to video games, musical talents to people skills. He is the one who will almost always obey me the first time I ask him to do something. He is extremely helpful around the house. He also has a difficult time discerning when is/not an appropriate time to crack a joke. As we walk through the ups and downs of life, I am keeping this little boy close to my heart, helping him to grow and reminding him that it always better to be a God pleaser, rather than a man pleaser.

Then there is J. Dear, sweet J. It is not hard to “peg” him as mercy. He has always had a tender heart and he experiences emotions to degrees that the others cannot comprehend. Where they may cry, he sobs. Where they may snicker, he all out belly laughs. Where they may grow mildly irritated in a given situation, he becomes livid. That is the beauty of mercy. It goes to the depths and lingers. Mercy feels the emotions of others and jumps in with all fours—happy emotions or sad ones. This gift is often given a gender specification in our churches/culture. It is more “acceptable” for a woman to posses this gift than for a man. I am trying to teach J that this gift is a precious gift from God to him and then to the world around him. He need not ever be ashamed of the gift that has been placed within him. Jesus was the most “manly” man who ever walked the face of the earth and He was full of compassion and mercy, so He can be the model.

Each of my boys is a gift from God above. Each one has been given a spiritual motivational gift to be used for His glory. I must teach them, each and every day, how to operate in the “good side” of their gifting, rather than the “bad side.” I need His wisdom as I discover more of what these gifts represent in the daily ins and outs of life.

Father, thank You for giving Your good gifts to us. I pray that You will find us faithful, may we use the gifts to bless others.