Power filled Positive Thinking-Chapter 14- 3 Keys to Unlock the Fullest Potential of Your Spiritual Gifts
We have been provided in Christ, spiritual gifts to be used in our journey on this earth and to be shared with those we meet along this journey. Look at Romans 12: “3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 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.9 Let love be without dissimulation.” As I illustrated within my own small family, these motivational gifts have been given by God in such a manner as to ascertain that we would need to rely on each other. The same is true in the church and in the body of believers. We were never meant to live our lives isolated emotionally, physically, nor spiritually. We need each other. Note that these are spiritual motivational gifts which are guided by the inward working of the Holy Spirit in us.
The Holy Spirit is the essence and embodiment of God’s perfect love and delight in the Son; therefore, the Holy Spirit is that outflowing love which fills our hearts with an agape like love. As the Holy Spirit’s perfect love works through these motivational gifts, there is perfect harmony within the body of the church, family, or unit of believers. Hence that which allows these uniquely different gifts to work harmoniously is genuine selfless love.
Because God created mankind and God has throughout the centuries provided a common grace that has allowed all mankind to experience the effects of God’s love—all mankind can understand love to some degree. Although, human love may be filled with great flaws of selfishness; yet, love is that emotion all human hearts seek to find. In Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell us and therein, we have the power of God’s love to remodel our human heart. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit in us that we may begin to join harmoniously in genuine love that all the spiritual motivational gifts can come together for the ministry of Christ and to live out our life in Christ to its fullest. It is of great importance, as Paul noted, that we gain an understanding of all the spiritual motivational gifts to prevent us from misunderstanding. Knowledge is a very powerful tool. God never intended us to remain ignorant and has provided His word to guide us along with His promise to provide His wisdom to all who seek it. For that reason, I intend to help to further explain these 7 spiritual motivational gifts over the next two chapters. The 3 keys to utilizing your spiritual gift to its greatest potential are:
1. Recognizing your own primary and secondary motivational gift. You will come to recognize how you respond to various situations according to your own motivational gift. Also, you will come to recognize why your response may be different than another’s response. Furthermore, you will be able to recognize the unique pitfalls of your own motivational gift whenever you are working outside the spirit. As you gain this knowledge, you can begin to recognize as well when you are working fully in the spirit. You may even want to keep a diary so as to learn how to respond consistently to your fullest potential in Christ.
2. As you learn to understand the various primary motivational gifts, you will learn to recognize the various gifts in others. This knowledge prevents your being frustrated with those who respond differently than yourself. Indeed as you recognize the value of their gift, you will learn to seek advice accordingly. Example: When I need to know financially what to do next, I need to ask someone who has the gift of giving (financial savvy). If I need help to get a project done, I need to go to someone with a gift of organization (leadership). If I need to know the black and white, straightforward truth; I need to go to the one with the gift of prophecy (justice). To do that I must understand their gift and embrace the unique difference in the way they view life’s trials.
3. I must allow the power of God’s Love (the Holy Spirit) in me to be the glue that unites me with others. As Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13 (GNV) “Though [a]I speak with the tongues of men and [b]Angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass, or a[c]tinkling cymbal.2 And though I had the gift of prophecy, and knew all secrets and all knowledge, yea, if I had all[d]faith, so that I could remove mountains, and had not love, I were nothing.” The love Paul is speaking of here is God’s perfect, unconditional, agape love which has overflowed into our hearts. That love is the Holy Spirit within us.
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13)
Listen to this song by Kim Walker/Hillsong Holy Spirit/Oceans and welcome the Holy Spirits Presence to overwhelm you with the Love of God.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
©2015 Effie Darlene Barba
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.