Romans 12:6-8 talks about our spiritual gifts. Many of us hear about our “spiritual gifts” in church and Bible study, but what are they and how do we use them effectively? Let’s look at what these spiritual gifts are, and how they apply in everyday life.
What are spiritual gifts and how do we use ours?
The Bible says in Romans 12:6-8, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” Let’s look into what this verse means, and what these gifts are.
What are spiritual gifts, and how do they apply in our everyday life? Let’s talk about how we can use the gifts God gave us for His glory. Share on X- Prophecy
- Service
- Teaching
- Encouragement
- Generosity
- Leadership
- Mercifulness
1) Prophecy
Wayne Grudem succinctly and adequately describes this gift in his book, Are Miraculous Gifts for Today. He writes, “the spiritual gift of prophecy is listed among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and Romans 12:6. The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to ‘speak forth’ or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. Many people misunderstand the gift of prophecy to be the ability to predict the future. While knowing something about the future may sometimes have been an aspect of the gift of prophecy, it was primarily a gift of proclamation (“forth-telling”), not prediction (“fore-telling”).
A pastor/preacher who declares the Bible can be considered a “prophesier” because he is speaking forth the counsel of God. With the completion of the New Testament canon, prophesying changed from declaring new revelation to declaring God’s completed revelation. Jude 3 speaks of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (emphasis added). In other words, the faith to which we hold has been settled forever, and it does not need the addition or refinement that comes from extra-biblical revelations.”
2) Service
Acts of service are a bit more straightforward than other spiritual gifts. It is something that all of us have done at one point or another, so what is the difference between normal serving and the spiritual gift of service? People with this spiritual gift are adept at filling the needs they see without being told to fill that need.
Service is another way to show God’s love to those around us, and it is something that is given freely without the need for being paid back.
3) Teaching
Teaching is another spiritual gift that God gives us. It can be extremely powerful to teach others about the Word of God, but it needs to be done with care and with God’s influence. Teaching takes a lot of kindness, respect, and patience, as well as knowing the material you are teaching. People with this gift tend to be searchers of the truth, and passionate about sharing that truth with others.
4) Encouragement
Words of encouragement are a gift used to motivate others in their walk with Christ. People bent this way are intuitive at knowing how to help another person with words of encouragement. They are great at showing support for another person whether that is by being optimistic, sharing wisdom from the Bible, or simply showing up for another person when they need it.
5) Generosity
This spiritual gift of generosity is essential to the function of the church. This is true of all the spiritual gifts, but generosity is important because it allows us to show God’s love not only to our church but also to our neighbors in a radical way. People with this gift tend to find the most effective way to provide for the most people they can.
6) Leadership
Leaders are gifted in a way that is hard to find. A spiritual leader is meant to guide others as well as offer guidance and support. They are great at inspiring others to follow the will of God and leading them to grow in their relationship with Christ. A leader will know what to do to motivate their team.
7) Mercifulness
Finally, the gift of mercifulness. This gift is something that allows all of us to move forward. Because all of us fall sometimes, it is important to show mercy to each other just as God showed mercy to us. Merciful people are gracious even when they have been wronged.
Use These Gifts in Every Part of Your Life
The truth is that we should all strive to use every one of these gifts. Each of these gifts is meant to not only bring us closer to God but also to bring us closer to the people around us. There will come a time when we need to give others encouragement, leadership, mercy, service, generosity, prophetic words, and a kind lesson. Through God’s strength that is possible. That, and a lot of discipleship and growth.
ORBC Can Help
We all have spiritual gifts through Christ, and some of them are easier for us than others. We all will need to use these gifts many times throughout our lives, and the best thing we can do is pray that God will help us through those moments.
Contact us for more information on spiritual gifts!
