Motivating Spiritual Gifts

At church we recently did a thing called the Gift Quest Report.  The purpose is to identify and quantify how much of each of the 7 motivating spiritual gifts identified in Romans 12 we possess.  I have mixed feelings about tests like this.

On the one hand they can provide some valuable insights.  Years ago when I was on the Trustee Board of the Kalamazoo Covenant Church we did a test called the Meyers Briggs test.  Turns out the whole board was made up of ENTPs. 

What that meant was we had a whole board of people who where great at thinking up great plans and we had no one on the board who's strength was seeing things through.  Consequently not a lot ever got done.  So the insights of that test were helpful.

On the other hand it seems to me that some of these things are so general and boiler plate as to be almost meaning less.  While at first blush they sound right, after you dig into it a bit you find that it is really about as personalized as the daily horoscope in the newspaper. 

Here is what I mean.  At the back of the report is a list of the top 20% of local church ministries that are matched to my gift-aptitude.  What is funny is that for anyone who knows me, you will see just how unlikely some of these things are. 

VBS Director

Jr. High Assistant

Children's Arts and Crafts

Drama Team Director

Not only are these things not likely, they are not even remotely likely.

The other thing that was really funny was some of the scores I got.  It is often joked in my house that I am missing the compassion gene.  It's not that I don't care, I do.  But my caring takes a more direct route like just going and fixing things.  I have very, very little empathy for excuse making. 

So the spiritual gift of giving was my highest rating at 82% followed by Admin/Leadership at 77%, Teaching at 73% and to round out the top 4 Prophecy/Perception at 70%. 

Where was the spiritual gift of Mercy?  5%!

Now do I feel bad about this?  Not a t all.  Why?  Here is why.

Romans 12:6-8(NKJV)

6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 

7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 

8he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

 Who gives us the grace of these spiritual gifts?  God does.  He gave them to each and every one of us in the exact measure that He wanted us to have them.  Who am I to second guess God?