Do You Recognize Your Spiritual Gift?

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 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” 1 Timothy 1:12

It has now been exactly two years since I received divine answers to a question through consecutive dreams in May 2024, which set me on a path of discernment and ministry. I often ask God why he chose me and what his will might be for these revelations. He reminded me of the words of the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians.

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Every Christian is spiritual, or one of the "spiritual ones," because every Christian has the Holy Spirit. Only those with the Holy Spirit can truthfully and sincerely say "Jesus is Lord," and every believer can say that. Spiritual gifts, acts of service, and other godly activities come in a wide variety. What they have in common is that each one comes from the same Holy Spirit. Each one is given to be used in service to the same Lord Jesus. Each one is possible only through the power of the same God the Father. In other words, these spiritual gifts are not about the people who use them; they are ultimately about God and His purposes.

In addition, spiritual gifts are given to every Christian, and they are given for the purpose of serving other Christians. They are given for the common good and not to bring status and respect to one believer and not another. A spiritual gift is the supernatural ability to serve the church in a way that someone could not do in mere human strength. 

Paul begins by listing nine of them, emphasizing that one is given to one believer while another is given to a different person. Nobody receives every single gift, but everyone receives at least one of them. These first nine gifts are often called the “sign gifts” or “confirmation gifts”. Many Christian groups and teachers believe these gifts were commonly given by the spirit during the time of the apostles and before the New Testament was established. Their purpose was to confirm that God's power was behind the message of the gospel. Other Christian groups and teachers understand these gifts to continue to be given to Christians by the Spirit in large numbers even today which I can personally attest to.

Paul emphasizes that the Spirit decides who to give each gift to. This means the gifts are not earned or acquired by the effort of those who receive them. That means, of course, that having one spiritual gift or another should not cause anyone to be thought of as more spiritual or important than another. It would be ridiculous for body parts to declare they were quitting the body because they can't be another part. It would be equally silly for any body part to say it doesn't need the other parts. 

Christians, too, should discover how essential their role in Christ's body really is, as well as learning to value how needed every other function is. Even those parts thought of as "less honorable" are given special care and honor, because we instinctively know how important they are! The same ought to apply to how Christians treat each other as we use and encourage spiritual gifts.

For many years, I tried to determine my spiritual gift. I have always loved math and considered myself a diehard armchair detective. While I originally planned a career in forensic science or as a homicide detective, it became clear that carrying a gun was not for me. This led me to a much safer career as an accountant, where I could use both math and my investigative skills to audit and prepare business financials. I still consider myself a diehard armchair detective, though! 

Taking these skills into account, I began to reflect on why God gave them to me and how I was intended to use them.

First, I want to encourage you that it isn’t just through prayer that you receive our Lord’s attention. I have received responses to things I have written, showing that He sees all we do. I have received answers through conversations with other believers, showing that He hears all we say. More amazing is the way He has sent messages of encouragement. I need to give a shout-out to the Holy Spirit, who has worked tirelessly with me over the last two years; I don’t think He gets enough credit for all He does.

Only recently did I recognize how God planned to use my gifts. I believe He blessed me with the revelation of Jesus Christ, using my math and detective skills to unlock the recently unsealed prophecies of Daniel 12 and Revelation 10. Because of this, I truly believe these two chapters were intentionally sealed from the minds of man until now. Without the diligent, day-and-night work of the Holy Spirit, this amazing understanding would still not be available.

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So, we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:4

In the 1st verse of this epistle, Paul reminds those listening that since we can never repay God for forgiving our sins and including us in His family, there is only one rational response: worship. By this, Paul does not mean singing a few songs on Sunday morning. He describes our reasonable worship as presenting our bodies, our entire lives, to God as if we are holy and acceptable sacrifices. The difference between this and the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant is that we are to be living, breathing sacrifices, using up our lives in service to God. 

The first investment of this sacrificed life that God asks from us is to serve each other in the church. He has equipped us to do this by giving each believer specific spiritual gifts through His Holy Spirit who comes to live with us. In other words, God has supernaturally enabled us to be able to give to each other exactly what is needed. But we must do it. Altogether, the church is Christ's body, with each person serving a specific function that keeps the body going. Our first job is to find our function and to do it, through God's power, for the good of everyone else.

Along with my math and detective skills, I have now recognized the true spiritual gift he has equipped me with. Although I never got an A in speech class or pictured myself standing before a congregation, it seems I fit the title of an 'exhorter.' This is someone who motivates, encourages, and inspires others toward positive development, often using spiritual guidance, public speaking, or mentoring. It combines encouragement with urgent advice, serving as a powerful communication tool—much like a coach's pep talk or a preacher’s call to faith.

Within a Christian context, they are viewed as someone exercising the gift of exhortation (Romans 12:6-8) to strengthen faith. I find it quite comical, because I have often said, 'I feel like the Apostle Paul reincarnated,' and I truly feel like I have been on the island of Patmos. Every time I finish a post and think I can accomplish other things, the Holy Spirit sends me another request. I continue to have an 'addiction' to discernment, but it comes with a cost of many sleepless nights. Many of my friends and family can attest to this, lol. So, please feel free to blame him, okay?

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-15

One positive result from maturity in a believer is not being tricked by false teaching. Those who are "no longer children" can stand against lies and deceit. Paul's analogy of being "tossed to and fro by the waves" sounds like James 1:6, which instructs us to pray in faith without doubt. Jude 1:13 also uses the idea of "wild waves of the sea." The goal is to avoid being "carried about by every wind of doctrine." False teaching changes regularly. Those who are immature can easily be fooled into thinking false teaching is accurate.

This can take place in two ways. First, believers can be deceived by "human cunning." This is the power of human persuasion; a smooth talker can wield influence over others. Second, a person can be deceived by "craftiness in deceitful schemes." These are evil plans that may appear good but actually promote something false. 

When I was shown the rapture in Revelation 10, I had to trust that my discernment came from the Father through the Holy Spirit. Then, when Daniel 12 was revealed to me as well, I became even more confident. If you could hear inside my mind right now, you might understand. The Holy Spirit has been like a teacher who persists until you have accomplished the task or found the answer. I am directed daily to scripture in tune with every chapter of prophecy I am working on, sometimes with repeated reminders. 

As I read comments on social media, I realize how misguided many Christians are due to a lack of personal discernment or an over-reliance on others, especially regarding prophecy. Although this was understandable in the past, it is no longer acceptable. We must take the time to discern the truth and be more open to new findings. The unveiling of the once-sealed chapters of Revelation and Daniel must be taken as God’s warning to prepare.

“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the WORDS are CLOSED up and SEALED TILL THE TIME OF THE END.” Daniel 12:8-9

“And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, SEAL up those THINGS which the seven thunders uttered, and WRITE them NOT.” Revelation 10:4

Jesus warned that in the last days, there would be an increase in false teaching and misinterpretation. I have found social media flooded with assumptions rather than true discernment. Many are convinced of their rightness based on unsubstantial information, leading to malicious behavior. I must admit, this attitude sometimes brings about debate—not so much in anger, but in frustration. This upsets me to the point that I have to reach out and pray for more patience and as always my prayers were answered by the Holy Spirit, who guided me to this passage in Ephesians. 

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Ephesians 4:26

Paul teaches that anger is not necessarily wrong. Anger itself is not a sin; there are some things Christians ought to be angry about. God expresses anger (Exodus 4:14). Jesus showed controlled anger in turning over the tables of the tax collectors (John 2:13–17). However, uncontrolled anger quickly leads to doing wrong. Being angry is not an excuse to sin. 

Self–control is required to channel anger in a God–honoring way. The point is not to let time go by before dealing with anger. Believers are to make dealing with anger a priority. Otherwise, bitterness or the desire for vengeance can grow, leading to more sinful thoughts and actions. Anger can be a helpful emotion yet must be handled carefully and quickly to avoid leading to sin. It is not meant to be "lived in," only "dealt with.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms". 1 Peter 4:10 

I believe the Holy Spirit requested this post to offer encouragement or perhaps even a push. As Christians, we are about to enter the most tested time of this age, and we will need to stand together more than ever. The Holy Spirit is ready for action and wants us to discover our gifts and how to use them for God’s purpose. If you are struggling to figure it out on your own—as I was—reach out to those who know and love you. I am sure the gift you unknowingly possess has already made a difference in their lives.