What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? The gifts we give each other tend to thrill us for a time, but the excitement eventually fades. Most gifts have a shelf life. Things break. Our interests change. Newer, flashier things distract us.
But unlike most material gifts, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are life-changing. The nine gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are abilities God gives to followers of Jesus Christ. They enable us to live life well and to serve others.
That means if you’re following Jesus, the Holy Spirit has given you a gift! One that can encourage and impact others and help bring more people to Jesus. But what are all the gifts, and how do you know which ones you’ve been given?
What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 identifies nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gives every believer different sets of spiritual gifts, each one reflecting God’s character and impacting others. Check out this list - which one sounds like yours?
Words of Wisdom
Wisdom allows us to think carefully and make good choices. Proverbs 2:6-7 tells us that wisdom comes from God and that it helps us learn, develops our common sense, and shields us and others from danger. Words of wisdom can speak life into others and lead them to safety.
Words of Knowledge
While wisdom is focused on navigating life’s path well, knowledge provides the foundation for that path. Proverbs 2:6-7 teaches that God is the source of knowledge. He created everything, so he knows things like science and art better than any of us. Words of knowledge allow us to think carefully and guide others.
Faith
You may have faith in Jesus, but the gift of faith is best understood as an exceptional ability to hold firmly to God’s promises even in the face of pain and uncertainty. Hebrews 11 provides examples of men and women who showed faith in really difficult situations. That type of faith is not something they conjured up themselves. Those who have the gift of faith can use it to encourage others, reminding them of God’s promise to never leave us.
Healing
The Bible is full of stories of people who were healed by Jesus, and of early followers of Christ who were involved in healing others (Acts 3:1-10, Acts 9:36-43). Does the Holy Spirit’s gift of healing mean we can play a role in healing today? 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and James 5:14-15 suggest we can, but it is important to remember any healing is because of God’s supernatural power and not a particular person or place.
There are countless situations where people pray for healing, but it doesn’t come. Does that mean the wrong person prayed or the prayer didn’t work? No. It means that God may have a plan that we don’t understand. The fact that some are healed and others aren’t teaches that those who have been given the gift of healing can’t heal at will. They are and always will be dependent on God and his plan. God may choose to reveal his power and grace in ways that are different than we hope.
Miraculous powers
We’re pretty liberal with the word “miracle” in our everyday lives. Making it to the gas station in time when your fuel light comes on may feel like a miracle. You might call it a miracle when your favorite team scores the game-winner with 2 seconds left.
But real miracles come from God. God can and does reveal his miraculous power in some pretty incredible ways. For example, Numbers 22:21-39 tells of how God used Balaam’s donkey to protect Balaam from danger. If we heard about a talking donkey today, we’d be skeptical. But God could do it again if he wanted.
If someone has the gift of miraculous powers, it means God has chosen them to show off his supernatural power. In Acts 19:11, God chose to give “Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.”
Prophecy
Prophecy refers to the ability to speak truth. Some believe it refers to seeing the future. While God could allow someone to see the future, the gift of prophecy often refers to the ability to speak truth effectively. The gift of prophecy is to help people apply truth to daily life. God often uses someone with the gift of prophecy to lovingly lead people off dangerous paths.
Distinguishing between spirits
This gift is best understood as the gift of discernment. It allows people to determine if something is from God. In Matthew 24:23-24, Jesus warned of false prophets - those who sound like they are speaking truth but aren’t. Ephesians 2:1-3 teaches that evil spirits exist and can trick people. The gift of discernment is God’s way of pointing us toward life and peace instead of imposters that lead to pain and destruction.
Speaking in different kinds of tongues
There are different opinions about what it means to have the gift of tongues. Some say speaking in tongues is a reference to some sort of heavenly language while others say it is referring to various earthly languages. This debate won’t be resolved easily. Either way, the gift of tongues refers to an ability to communicate in different languages. The purpose of this gift is to be able to point others towards God and his life-giving truth in ways they understand.
Interpretation of tongues
This gift is connected to the gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues. The same difficult debate exists, but the same conclusion exists as well: God will communicate in creative and meaningful ways so his grace and love spread.
The gift of interpretation of tongues is one way God uses us to help everyone learn about how to live well. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 says there must be a translator if someone is going to speak in tongues and verse 23 warns that people will “think you are crazy” if you speak in tongues without it being translated.
How do we get spiritual gifts?
God gives spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 states: "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us." God chooses to put his power in us so we can show his love and character to others.
How to find your spiritual gifts
Romans 12:6-8 tells us that God gives us different gifts. But it’s only after we’ve identified the gifts he’s given us that we can learn how to use those gifts well.
The best way to understand our gifts is to pray for understanding. God is eager to give us wisdom when we ask for it! Pray for him to give you clarity on:
- Your passions - those things that get you excited.
- Your abilities - the things you’re naturally good at.
- Your opportunities - the reasons why God has placed you where you are.
In addition to answering our prayers God will often use other Christ followers to help you find your spiritual gifts. They may be able to see your gifts more clearly than you, so listen carefully. If someone says you have a gift, reflect on ways to learn how to trust and honor God with those skills.
It may be helpful to think of the gifts as fitting into three categories: gifts of insight (wisdom, knowledge, distinguishing spirits), gifts of speech (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and gifts of power (faith, healing, miracles). Whatever gifts God grants, the purpose is not to make us famous. The purpose is to point others to God and to help the church love and serve others.
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The Holy Spirit gives us gifts - but what else? What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?
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