“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…” 1 Peter 4:10, (ESV)
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then according to Peter, you have at least one spiritual gift. But if you aren’t sure what your gift is, how do you go about discovering it?
I believe that one sure way to discover your spiritual gift is to be a committed, serving member of a local church.
Because spiritual gifts are a means of serving “one another” (fellow believers), we can’t expect to discover our gift in isolation. A healthy, biblically functioning church is a greenhouse in which spiritual gifts grow. But it’s only by putting roots down into the soil of that community that our particular gifts can be identified and cultivated.
One way this happens is by allowing others in the church to really get to know us. Sometimes we may think we have gifts that we don’t actually possess. Other times, we may have gifts that we don’t even realize we possess. In both cases, we need the feedback of others to correct, clarify, or affirm the gifts we think we have.
The other way our gifts are discovered is by serving wherever there is a need. Peter says that spiritual gifts are “varied.” The gift(s) you have are designed to meet specific needs. That doesn’t mean you should only serve in ways that correspond to your gifting. But when you do encounter a need that you are gifted to meet, you will experience a sense of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment that indicates you are headed in the right direction.
Father in heaven, help me to both discover and grow in my gifts as I seek to build up fellow believers around me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Take Action
Are you a committed, serving member of a local, Bible-believing church? If not, what are you waiting for?
Read Church Unity: So What’s in it for Me?
