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God's Rich Variety Of Spiritual Gifts

Paul's lists of spiritual gifts, roles and ministries are not intended to be exhaustive  -  merely an illustration of the rich variety God showers upon his Church for the mutual building up of the Body and expansion of the gospel.

The key is that the individual has received a clear anointing of the Holy Spirit, empowering him/her to fulfill his/her particular role and ministry.

Affirmation Of Your Gifting From The Body Of Christ

Q  How will I know what my gift(s), role(s) & ministry are ?
A   Others in the Body will let you know and God will confirm it.

For example, people may say: "You have a real gift of encouragement", or "The LORD really blessed me through your singing today", and so on.

One of the easiest roles to identify is that of pastor. Pastors are the the ones the sheep always go to when they are wanting feeding or help.

If God has anointed you for a particular role, the evidence will be seen in the effects he produces when you exercise the gift(s) he has given you.

Ways Of Discovering Your Role In The Body Of Christ

There are several ways of finding what role God has given you in the Church. These include  -

•  PRAYER asking God to show you clearly through Scripture, your natural abilities and gifts & to confirm it

•  BEING AVAILABLE for service of any kind within your fellowship

•  SEEKING GODLY GUIDANCE from your cell or house group leader or pastor

•  KEEPING A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL of things you feel the LORD saying to you and the way you feel as you are involved in the life of the fellowship, such as what things worked and what didn't

•  USING A SPIRITUAL GIFTS QUESTIONNAIRE eg  Saddleback's Shaped for Significance questionnaire which highlights a person's Spiritual gifts, Heart for service, Abilities, Personality, and Experience

•  CONFIRMATION FROM OTHER CHRISTIANS in your fellowship

The Importance Of Listening & Obedience

The most important thing is to listen carefully to what God says to you and be obedient.

For more on general areas of gifting and service within the Body of Christ, click on  GENERAL AREAS OF GIFTING & SERVICE.