As the Better Together Team has been studying spiritual gifts in order to create our digital products for July, we have had several discussions as a group about what “counts” as a spiritual gift. A couple of our girls struggled with pinpointing what their spiritual gifts were & struggled with how to translate that into a product for you all to use. Through all the discussions we’ve had, I’ve determined this: a spiritual gift is any positive attribute about yourself that you can use to glorify God & help build up others in an encouraging way. Easy as that. So if you’re reading this & thinking “I just don’t think I have any specific spiritual gifts”– you’re wrong. Everyone has some gift that God has imprinted in them that they can use to help others and spread the Word of Christ.
I wanted to drill down to the bedrock. I wanted to define the most basic forms of spiritual gifts so I did some studying in the Bible to determine what that would be. And then it hit me– the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are basic positive attributes that are used to glorify God & help others in an encouraging way! We all know what they are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. God has given you emphasis or inclination on one, if not multiple, of these fruits of the Spirit.
Maybe you’ve always been good with children & are able to handle them more calmly than anyone in your family. Then your spiritual gift could be patience or kindness, or gentleness. Are you known for being a perpetual optimist? Your spiritual gift could be joy! It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be some super specific talent or physical ability. Everyone has a gift to share!
It’s so important for us to preserve these fruits of the spirit & use our gifts every day! If we don’t, they go to waste which is a selfish use of the gift & resources God has given us! Do yourself a favor & go read Galatians 5:22-26. Really give some thought to what your own spiritual gifts are. Pray about it. Ask Him to reveal to you the attributes that are best suited to lifting up others & glorifying Him! Then journal about it. I created the Home Grown digital kit specifically so we could journal about our gifts & study ways to apply them! After that, start using those gifts to build up your church, your community, & others around you. The rest of them: work on developing those particular fruits so that they don’t go to waste either.
Share with me the spiritual gifts God has blessed you with & how you can use them to glorify Him! Tell me in the comments the fruits of the Spirit that are most certainly talents of yours. I want to hear all about it!
<3 Elaine
Home Grown digital kit by Elaine Davis | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Homespun Alpha stamp set (temporarily retired, coming back in August) | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Typed alpha stickers in Hey Sugar Sugar | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Big & Bold alpha stickers in Hey Sugar Sugar | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Homespun alpha stickers in Apple of My Eye | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd enamel hearts in Olive You Mix & Black Eyed Pea | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Date It stamp | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd .65 pen | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Bible mat | Bella Blvd Tiny Text alpha stickers in Bold & Beautiful
I’ve always known my giftings – teaching & leadership & organization. I like the idea of thinking of the fruits of the Spirit as gifts, too. I think I have a little of them all, but will have to ponder which I feel are most prominent . . . it’s definitely not patience. :)