Discovering and Using Our Spiritual Gifts

Written by Martha Lawley

God invites us to "give our spiritual gifts away" through service. While you should already be putting yours to work as a women’s leader, you can empower your ladies to serve with their gifts as well. Here are some ways to encourage women in your church to serve using their spiritual gifts.

Teach what the Bible says about spiritual gifts.
Here are a few verses to get you thinking about what you need to reinforce with your ladies (Paul's basic description of a spiritual gift can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11):

• Each believer is given at least one gift.
  (1 Corinthians 12:7)
• The Holy Spirit determines who receives which gifts.
  (1 Corinthians 12:11)
• Each gift is equally valuable. (1 Corinthians 12:21-26)
• We are to use our gifts to serve others for the benefit of the body. (Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:12)
• We are commanded to use our gifts. (1 Peter 4:10)
• Exercising our gifts will help us develop spiritual maturity. (Ephesians 4:13)

Lead by example.
Make sure you know your own gifts, and let others see how God is using the gifts He has given you in ministry. Serve in God's power and under the Holy Spirit’s leadership – not your own strength or ideas. 

Two ministry essentials that provide chapters devoted to gift discovery and service are:  Women Reaching Women: Beginning and Building a Growing Women's Ministry Transformed Lives: Taking Women's Ministry to the Next Level

Here are three free downloads that you can duplicate and use in your women's ministry. (You will need the free Adobe Reader to view and download the information.)

Pray for revelation. Remind ladies that God will reveal our gifts through His Holy Spirit. Believers should pray and study what God says about gifts in His Word. We should also remember God uses other believers to affirm our gift. Sometimes God may also use spiritual gift assessment tools to reveal His gifts. Spiritual Gifts Survey (Discovery Tool) Spiritual Gifts List (List of Gifts and Scripture References)  Match gifts with ministry opportunities. Once you help women discover their gifts, the next step is to take action on that discovery. Here is an example of a way to match interests and gifts with ministry opportunities. Where do you feel God leading you to serve Him? (Discovery Tool)

As leaders, it's our responsibility to guide women to understand the importance of spiritual gifts and to find an appropriate place of service using their gifts. Ask God to guide you as you seek to minister to women and build up the body of Christ through the exercise of all the gifts that God has given your church.

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