Spiritual Gifts

A spiritual gift is a graciously given supernaturally designed ability granted to every believer by which the Holy Spirit serves the (Church), the body of Christ. A spiritual gift cannot be earned, pursued, or worked up, it is merely “received” through the grace of God.

Spiritual gifts are to be used, not for the exaltation of the person with the gift, but in loving concern for the benefit of others in the church. A Christian does not own his gifts, but God has given him gifts to manage for the church and to display His glory.

God Gives The Gifts

God gives the gifts, we just receive them.

1Peter 4:10 Just as each one has received a gift, [use] it for serving one another, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

The spiritual gifts are given to enable us to serve one another in the body of Christ, to be used in serving one another. They are not given to us so that we will have a spiritual superiority complex, nor to draw attention to us.

We Are To Manage Our Gifts

1 Peter 4:10b even so serve one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Christ followers are stewards of the gifts that God gives.

As members of the body of Christ, each believer is responsible for using what his Master has given him for the benefit of the body (Church) according to God’s guidelines. When believers use their gifts to strengthen others, they are functioning as “good stewards” of God’s grace.

We Manage Our Gift By Discovering It

1 Peter 4:10b so serve one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

First, we must discover what gifts we have. Here are a few basic guidelines we can follow in discovering our gifts.
 We must have the proper motivation, serve out of love
 There must be not unresolved conflicts between you and God, or others, no unconfessed sin
 We must be involved in some area of service
 We must not to try to imitate another gift
 Understand, serving is the activity our gift is carried out in
 Serving with the right motivation brings joy not a strain

We Manage Our Gift by Developing It

1 Peter 4:10b so serve one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

We develop our gift by working at it.

 We must walk in the spirit in order to develop our gift

Be willing to look at our life, turn from our sins, tell God we will give Him permission to do with our lives as He chooses, and depend on the Holy Spirit to live through us, day by day,

 If we walk in the spirit He will exercise through us the qualities of the gift that He gave us

 We need to know the characteristics of our gift

 We need to know the expression of our gift in the spirit and in the flesh

We Manage Our Gift By Exercising It

Jesus is not interested in spectators, but servants.

1Peter 4:10b use it for serving one another, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

Are you satisfied to know that God has given you a special gift for blessing others and you are not using it? God gives every believer something special in order to help others, and to be a reflection of Himself on this earth, we either sit on it, serve ourselves with it, or we serve others.

There is no place for spectators in Christianity, God is limited on this earth by our unwillingness to give ourselves to him.

One day we will stand before God and give account, for the manner in which we used the gifts He gave us.

1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward:

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

What could if I do with the gift God gave me if I gave it my best?

What will you do with the gift God gave you?