Serving Through Our Gifts

[Lively Stone]

When was the last time you volunteered at church? Was the experience enjoyable, or did you merely serve out of a sense of obligation? Perhaps your church responsibility left you feeling so drained that you never signed up for another commitment, and now you feel guilty for not contributing.

We are all uniquely created to do certain jobs well---some of us are musical, others are athletes, and still others are gifted mechanically. The Lord gives each new believer a spiritual gift in order to edify the body of Christ.

Romans 12:6-8 lists seven "motivational

[Joyfullee]

I've learned a lot from C.Stanley through the years....good post!   

I came across this chart of motivational gifts.  What is nice about it is it gives the positive and negative aspects of each gift.  An excellent growing tool.

I also thought about how it could actually help us here on this forum...if we could recognize another poster's gift, we would probably understand them better as a child of God, therefore better equipped to understand their individual posts and how to respond.  Keeping in mind our own negative tendencies and allowing the love of God to lead.

http://www.timshen.truepath.com/motivational_gifts.htm

Blessings

[chosenone]

Do you think that there seems to be a difference in the spread of gifts between men and women?. I only ask this because I have noticed this myself. In general women seem to have more 'discerning of spirits' types of gift, maybe because they are generally far more intuitive? Also coming from a church where women are rarely allowed to teach, God seem to give far more words of knowledge and words of wisdom and pictures to the women in the service than men. 

[p.rehbein]

Concerning gifts, it matters little what gift we have been given if we do not exercise that gift with a servant's heart.  All of the gifts mentioned can be said to be gifts of service even though they may differ in their areas of service.  Put God first in all things and in all things display a servan'ts heart and you will be serving through your gifts.

[Lively Stone]

Do you think that there seems to be a difference in the spread of gifts between men and women?. I only ask this because I have noticed this myself. In general women seem to have more 'discerning of spirits' types of gift, maybe because they are generally far more intuitive? Also coming from a church where women are rarely allowed to teach, God seem to give far more words of knowledge and words of wisdom and pictures to the women in the service than men. 

In a church where there is no hindrance of anyone---male, female or child---in the expression of spiritual gifts, I see no preponderance of any particular gift among any group.

[chosenone]

Do you think that there seems to be a difference in the spread of gifts between men and women?. I only ask this because I have noticed this myself. In general women seem to have more 'discerning of spirits' types of gift, maybe because they are generally far more intuitive? Also coming from a church where women are rarely allowed to teach, God seem to give far more words of knowledge and words of wisdom and pictures to the women in the service than men. 

In a church where there is no hindrance of anyone---male, female or child---in the expression of spiritual gifts, I see no preponderance of any particular gift among any group.

Well ours does have a hindrance in that women arent allowed to teach generally, but otherwise there is no hindrance, but far more women seem to get these words and pictures etc. Mind you there are more women there, (not a vast number though) so that may make a difference.
I feel that God may use the attributes already in one sex, such as women being more intuitive, to use in discernment for example.

[psalmgirl]

  I love Charles Stanley!!  I  have learned so much from him over the years... thanks for the link Joyfullee, I really liked it.