Step 7 How Will Knowing Your Gifts Help You Thrive?

Would you like to thrive and live with more passion, meaning and purpose? And…be able to give to others out of the beautiful creation you are?

You can accomplish this by discovering your God-given gifts…what you are born with and what the Holy Spirit gives you at salvation.

Natural Talent:

God knit gifts into us at the time of our conception. These unique gifts are given with purpose…to help others and glorify God. Non-believers often refer to these gifts as natural talent.

Are you born to sing, to write, to organize, to teach, to lead? Are you athletic, musical, or artistic and on the list goes? Everyone is born with something they excel in, and it is good to identify what comes easily for these natural gifts are often the launch pad, the springboard, the starting block for greater things to come at salvation. Natural talents are still gifts from God…for God. But we are given free-will and a choice. Will we use them for God or to serve ourselves?

Make a list of things that come easily…and then launch into what your spiritual gifts are and see how beautifully interconnected they are. For God knit you together in your mother's womb…He knew all you would and could be.

Spiritual Gifts:

"Everyone, whether they are a believer or a non-believer, has some sort of talent, but only believers have spiritual gifts." Cold Case Christianity Website

Romans 12:4-8 NIV

"4) For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5) so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6) 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; 7) if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8) 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."

We can see in this scripture that the Spiritual gifts are Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouragement, Giving, Leading, and Mercy.

How will Knowing Your Spiritual Gifts and Your Natural Talents Improve your life and the Way You Feel About Yourself?

• Living in alignment with God's will is to know your God-given gifts and intentionally engage them. This creates the highest form of living and thriving.
  
• An abundant life is God's plan for us and creates peace, joy, meaning and fulfillment in our soul. John 10:10 NLT "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." 
  

How can we discover our uniquely designed God-given gifts? Ask yourself these questions.

• What does your heart long to do?
  
• When do you feel most alive?
  
• What are you doing when you feel the "joy of the Lord"?
  
• What do you get excited about? What inspires you?
  
• Where do your problem-solving skills show up naturally?
  
• Ask the people who are spiritually mature friends and leaders what they see in you.
  
• Pray about it. Ask God to reveal your gifts to you then listen and pay attention. He created you to operate in your gifts and take your place in the body of Christ and bring glory to Him.
  
• Do this test by Focus on the Family as a way of identifying your Spiritual gifts. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Discovering-Your-Spiritual-Gifts_v2.pdf
  

Natural gifts are woven into you at conception. Now weave those in with your Spiritual gifts after being born again and WOW, be prepared to thrive. Be prepared for God's power to fill you and equip you. Be prepared to light up the world for Jesus.

God gives us gifts not for us, but for others. All gifts whether natural talent or spiritual should be used to show God's amazing love. Let's share our gifts. 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV 10) As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

As an example: Let me, Blossom, a long-time friend of Suzie and the person who had the pleasure of bringing her to Christ tell you how I witnessed firsthand God weaving both her natural talent with spiritual power after being born again.

Suzie's natural gifts include teaching, encouraging, and being a compassionate person. I witnessed these natural gifts in action from the moment I met her, but she was not a Christian and she used them minimally because she was not confident or empowered. Then she became a believer and WOW, God has taken these same natural giftings and turned them into Holy Spirit empowered spiritual gifts.

The teacher: She now researches ever on a quest to learn more so she can be the best teacher available and give God-breathed and life-changing information to others. She is a resource specialist because she cares not only teach but to help others.

The encourager: I have personally been the recipient and have witnessed the exponential growth of this gift. She now listens to the Holy Spirit each day and will randomly without knowledge of what is going on in my life (when I need it the most) give me a call or send a word of encouragement. And she does this for many.

The gift of Compassion: Suzie can see when others are hurting and now with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is confident to step in and respond with love and understanding. Many times, before her conversion she would second-guess herself. But now compassion flows freely and generously.

I will share one last example of how Spiritual gifts can work even when that person is NOT naturally inclined, to show that Spiritual gift are far more important than natural talent. A guest pastor from Africa shared that by nature he is very shy and how shocked he was when God called him to be a preacher. He said he is insecure and must rely heavily on the Holy Spirit each time he speaks. Then he spoke…what a powerful message. I tell you this story to say that there are times God gives spiritual gifts that will force you outside your natural abilities and yet He empowers.

Be open. Be ready. You were meant to thrive! Why? So that you will be the best version of You, for your family, friends, church, and for all the hurting people in this world that your life touches. YOU are unique, and placed right where you are to be a powerful woman or man of God.