Do You Know How To Use Your Spiritual Gift?
There is an example I use in Kenya to illustrate the need for believers to use their spiritual gifts. Many farm small plots of land and they use hoes like the one shown to till the soil. I explain that many Christians are like farmers trying to dig their garden with their bare hands while a nice new, shiny hoe sits unused beside them. With their hands, they dig, but accomplish little. While grabbing handfuls of soil the farmer complain. “preparing the garden is such difficult work!” They say. Many finger nails get broken, their backs ache, and they feel they’re getting nowhere fast.
That seems silly!
When I tell people this they laugh and think the person who is digging their farm with their hands seems silly. They think to themselves, “why not simply pick up the new hoe and use it so that the work will go faster?” It is obvious for them that by simply using the tool that they already possess it will make the work much easier.
Then I say,
“If you realize the person with the hoe should use it to make their life easier, why not pick up the gift that God has given you to make your Christian life easier?”
For many the supernatural life is something that “happens” to them. Victims of circumstance, though they claim to be children of the Most High, they live like beggars in the streets of this world. They dig the soil of God’s vineyard with their bare hands as their spiritual fingernails crack and fingers bleed. Wiping the sweat from their brow, their backs ache. They suffer lack because they get so little done while right beside them lays a nice shiny new spiritual gift that God gave them a long time ago.
Here is a truth,
“Stop digging with your hands and your spirit gift that God has given you”
It is the most amazing thing to me to see people who are obviously gifted prophets, or have the word of knowledge, or the gift of miracles, prophesy, discernment, helps, administrations etc. digging with their hands in the soil of this life while their spiritual gifting sits beside them. Some do this because they believe that they have no control over the situation either. It is as if they expect that spiritual tool that God has given them to rise up and force itself into their hands and make them use it.
Here is the truth,
“When God gives you a gift it is for you to use however you see fit whenever you need to use it.”
People often treat their spiritual gift as something that happens to them once in a great while. However, the reality is that they can use their spiritual gifts for whatever they need whenever they need it. It is just that many assume that their gifting are something they have no control over and so they wait until their gift “just happens.” It is true, that sometimes the need is so great that God simply takes over and makes you use your gift in spite yourself but they truth is that you are free to use your spiritual hoe to dig up your garden any time you please.
The gifting of God is to use freely
There is a type of “false” humility born out of fear that sometimes plagues people concerning spiritual gifts too. They say to themselves “who am I” to assume that I have or can sue such a power of God. Or, The say to themselves and others, that their gift is “holy” and from God therefore I can only use it when the Holy Spirit moves upon me. That is simply balderdash. What they are really saying is that they fear to take responsibility for their spiritual gifting and are uncomfortable about how people will view them if they use it too often. Listen, the kingdom of God is more important than your insecurities or self-doubt. Also, living a vibrant and successful Christian life is more productive for you and for everyone else than living in ineffectiveness.
Share your spiritual gifts with others
Moreover, we need to connect with each other and share our gifts. Out gifts are not meant to be kept to ourselves and sit on the self at home. God gives gifts to men each according to His wisdom and the needs of His body. No one person has all they need to be successful in God. That is why there is the body of Christ. It is written,
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
Ephesians 4:7,8
Everyone has a spiritual gift
Note the word “every” in that verse above. Everyone has been given “gifts”. I dare say there is no one “gift-less” in the body of Christ.
Unfortunately, we all suffer greatly because we do not pick up our gifts and use them. Some don’t know how to use their gifts. Nevertheless, we must learn to use what God gave us for our own benefit and the Body of Christ’s edification. Moreover, don’t worry if people who don’t use their gifts look askance at us when you do.
Use your spiritual gift
In conclusion, pick up your spiritual hoe and get to work. Take up your spiritual gift and start to use it for yours and other people’s benefit. It makes no sense for us to be struggling in this world when we have been given the spiritual gifts of God. If you are wondering if you have a gift or what to do with it simply ask me. My gifting is to arrange other people’s giftings in their own lives and within the body of Christ. I can tell you, in very short order, if you have a gift and how to use it. It’s a win-win situations for all of us if everyone starts to pick up their giftings and use them as often as possible for the kingdom of God.
Okay Mike
tell me my gift please!
Dear Chad,
Describe to me your walk and experiences in God and I will help you find out what your gifting (s) are. For one thing, i know you are unusually perceptive in the Spirit. Many who read what I write do not “get it” right away but you seem to do just that. Let’s me know that your spirit man is alive and well.
Many times people natural abilities that express themselves in the world are reflections of their spiritual gifts. For instance, people we the gift of administrations will be found many times in administrative positions at companies. At other times your gifting may manifest at an early age but be quenched by you or others who fear you being different. This often happens with prophets. Teachers, as children, will make-believe little class rooms and get their other friends to be pretend pupils. I, being an apostle, used to hook three red wagons to the back of my tricycle and go on expeditions to the end of the road and back with other little kids in tow. People with the gift of discernment will see demons when they are young (sometimes called imaginary friends) and are unusually perceptive about the character of people the meet because they sense the spirits in them. Many people with apostolic gifting are businessmen because they like to organize and run things.
Prophets and seers have some of the most difficult times of all. Many times their gifting manifest as small children. My wife is prophetic and, as a young girl, she would know when people were coming to visit before they arrived. She would look at people funny and then say, such and such will happen to them and it did. It got so bad that her Mother was afraid to let her speak to strangers and squelched her gifting. It took a long time for her to start to become comfortable with it again. I helped her realize that when she “imagined” things (that always seemed to come to pass) that it was the Holy Spirit giving her waking visions and insights.
For those who have more extreme gifts it can be very traumatic during their childhood unless someone is there to watch over them and protect them from demonic attacks. They needs an adult who understands what they are going through. All of my children are little seers to one degree or another and we try to help them not feel badly about being different from other children in that way. When we don’t make a big deal of what happens to them then they feel good about themselves. However, those who grow up in families that are not Christ centered often have horrific child hoods full of many hardships created by demonic forces that try to destroy them before the can grow into maturity.
What is happening now days is that the Devil is doing his best to isolate those who wish to walk in the Spirit. He accomplishes this through rejection and persecution. Christians who do not understand the moving of God’s spirit in some shun those whom God is giving revelation and spiritual experiences. This isolation gives opportunity for the devil to seek to destroy these emerging saints before they can become what God desires them to be.
We must seek out and find those whom God is moving upon and offer them comfort and fellowship. Many of these people are severely wounded and distrust practically everyone except the Spirit of God their Father. They must be approached with love and compassion for they may lash out because of their distrust and pain. Nevertheless, as we manifest the Spirit of their Father to them they will instinctively hear the His voice through us and listen.
What is most important, I am feeling in the Spirit, is for us to connect with one another in the Spirit so that we can become strong in Him. I recognize that I need this as much as anyone because, though I do hear the voice of my Father, I can no longer walk this dangerous road alone.
So, think back on your life and try to understand where you have gravitated to in your interests and work experience. When you want you can discuss what you have come up with and we can ask the Lord to give you a clearer insight as to where you fit into the body of Christ and what your specific gifting (s) are.
Once we see what you have then I can help you learn to use them effectively for God’s glory.
God bless,
Michael
Hey there,
thank you very much for all your above insights, I agree with you and can relate so some of them. It is actually the first time I have heard someone speak of the demonic attacks that children experience. My wife and I were both attacked as young children pretty harshly but only could talk openly to each other about it. Neither of our homes were particularly Christian, Hers was catholic-ish and in mine they were Christians but took the Hippocratic oath! My wife Jennifer was rammed or harshly nudged in her leg at age 5 or 6 enough to make small bruises and i was was harassed by demons at night and could not find the door many nights. there was a time in my youth that felt as though everything i did had been done before by me at a different time.Obviously theses are just tiny glimpses into a deep cavern. To say the least we both spent our younger years afraid of the unknown/unspeakable-u n believable.
As adults our walk with the Lord has been ruff due to our own desires and trials.
Over the coarse time we have been spiritually shipwrecked by 3 different pastors and yes we have been and are isolated, possibly indefinitely, from the physical churches.
That being said, I have always been a “hands on” type of guy. Not just providing for my family but enjoyed repairing cars cycles or what ever. Most of my adult life I been a machinist, mostly because it pays fairly well with decent benefits for a high school drop out. always dreamed of owning my own business but never did because of the need for steady income with ins. for my wife. I have many ideas for new Inventions that I have saved ,but afraid to bring them to market due to lack of knowledge and investors.
Years ago I had the idea of giving cars to needy family’s and taking them in on donations 501c3 ish..fixing/checking them over,Cars for Christ and from Christ, but that never made it to fruition. Now my hands are literally wearing out from over use ,carpel tunnel..not good blood flow and the rest of my body in similar shape.
Sorry to throw so much at you, but you kinda asked for it brother!
Hope the Lord will help you decipher something from all this!
love you,
chad
Dear Chad,
Yes, many times as children we seem to be closer to the spiritual realm than when we grow up. It is amazing to me there is so much denial and ignorance about how demons interact with us and sometimes even through us. It is like the generally known but little talked about taboo subject. However, in the New Testament we find that Jesus dealt with and mostly cast out demons left and right.
I view demons like any other type of poisonous vermin. Yes the are there, yes they can sometimes be a problem, but if we learn to deal with them correctly we can avoid their venom. It just takes some spiritual knowledge and caution.
I can see that you enjoy helping people. You also like precision and are patient. When you were in those churches that ultimately did not work out for you what did you do? Were you involved in any ministries?
Also, other than you childhood, what types of spiritual experiences have you had since you have been saved? Any visions, words of knowledge, seen any demons, healed any sick, foretold any event, dreamed any spiritual dream?..that sort of thing.
My gifting seems to be apostolic with a side order of prophetic and the ability to interpret dreams. Most of the time your have one dominant gift and some side gifts that compliment it.
God bless,
Michael
Hi Michael,
while in the churches as you can guess, I helped out where ever needed, mostly the car repair go-to or the labor er… early in my walk i was made children Church leader, but not many children went there but mine. lol
Next was kinda the same, planning some teaching the next generation how to..mens work shop.. and mostly spent time listening and sharing and praying with others.
Lastly helped a church plant/start that did not work out after 1 1/2 years
experiences;
early on heard the soft still voice continually pestering me to stop smoking weed, i was chronic, the Lord delivered me miraculously::: part of my testimony…
My boy at the time he was 12 was possessed, harassed by demons, Jesus used me to cast them out..wild night you can imagine.
i’ve felt Gods warm bright presence more than once and one time it was if my my spirit was communicating with his through a mysterious language, un-audible(closest thing to this’ speaking in tongues’ i can gather.)
I believe the idea of the vehicle getting and giving ministry is of God along with the cool inventions, but as you say: we need to obey ONTIME! They clearly could be missed opportunity.The Lord has delivered me through many many things, I’ll name a couple,,i had stage 3 cancer when i was 23, long story, testimony here..Government tried to lock me down for 24 years for bogus child abuse, thanks be to God , only probation. Doctors were giving me antibiotics and messed up really bad, i was literally die-ing and i totally cried out loud to Him and He instantly calmed the storm in my flesh.
marriage torn ,separated 2 years, God reunited through today,and other times where He stepped in and saved the day and paved the way!
God continues to speak to me through my spirit, as you know its easy to drown out or override his voice most of the time.we need to be careful not to. Thats something I really appreciate about your ministry, that you help others tremendously with this!!
Hi Chad,
Seems you have the gift of helps.
“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
1 Corinthians 12:28
It is naturally in your heart to help people with your hands and your talents however you can. You see a person in need an your literally reach out with your own to hands to meet that need when you can and when you feel led to do so. Your hands become the hands of Jesus as you allow Him to flow through you and meet the real need of the person in front of you. It is like, if we could see in the spirit, instead of you working on the car Jesus is there lending a helping hand. Just know this is what is happening and allow it to happen to and even greater extent. Know that when your hands are being used to bless a person there Jesus is too. If words come to mind to say say them. Let Jesus inhabit all you are so that He can minister the person or persons you are helping.
Make no mistake about it: People want to meet Jesus. As a manifested son of God you can help them do that.
You could be a pastor in the future depending on how you progress in the Spirit.
I would recommend seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you have not spoken in tongues before. It is easier to yield to the Holy Spirit when He is in you as opposed to being with you. If you like I can help you receive that gift.
One thing that is apparent though, is that God does have His hand on your life and therefore you can assume that if you fully yield to Him that He has a something for you to do. You just need to “go the distance.”
One other thing that I wanted to mention. It does not matter which gift you have but it matters how fully you allow it to flow through you. Sometimes people want to be prophets (God forbid…I would not wish that on anyone.) or have the gift of miracles etc. Every gift that God gives is suited for the temperament and ability of the recipient. God does not make mistakes. Whatever gifting you have can be a great as God is. If you allow God to fully express Himself through the gifting He has given you amazing things will happen!
God bless,
Michael
PS…I thought this was an interesting website concerning the gift of helps.
https://spiritualgifts.wordpress.com/2007/10/06/do-you-have-the-spiritual-gift-of-helps/
I would be most grateful ,if you could help me with the baptism of the Holy Spirit !
Normally I do this in person, however,
Set aside a day to pray. Read Luke chapter 11 until verse 13 with the understanding that God is talking about the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit.
1. When you feel a sensation in your tongue (or mouth in general) simply relax and allow the spirit to do what He wants. Don’t worry about what you sound like but simply let God have control of that member of your body. Sometimes it is really dramatic and sometimes speaking in other tongues is as easy as breathing. You can stand or kneel. Sometimes it helps to raise your hands in worship to the Lord.
2. Normally, I would touch your chin or cheek but since I am not there I will do so now, in the Spirit.
3. Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that Chad receive the gift of your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Give him Your freedom and cause his tongue to be given over to You this day. Fill him now with Your Spirit and start to become one with him with the free gift of your Holy Spirit. (now, in the name of Jesus, speak Chad)
We thank you Father for this good gift!
4. Keep speaking in tongues. Don’t doubt because it is a heavenly language. A foretaste of the world to come. God in you, the hope of glory. A little piece of heaven on Earth.
5. As you speak in tongues everyday it will become stronger and more distinct.
God bless,
Michael
Thank you brother!
I will keep you posted.
Good posts, its great to see how God works in people’s lives.
I do have a question on gifts, if you have multiple gifts, which bring along with it a high level of barrage from the enemy, because your a sledgehammer to the demons etc….how do you focus on the God bit and able to dismiss the bad?
Dear Kingdomsheir,
It is written,
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
1 Corinthians 12:7
The giftings we are given are to help us as part of the Body of Christ and others of the Body of Christ. That is the focus of and the reason why we are given gifts. Every gift comes with some sort of manifestation and some are more pronounced than others. For instances, depending on the strength of the gift of healing in someone, after praying for a few people, it can literally drain you to such an extent you want to faith. Very strong words of knowledge can actually be painful.
When you are talking about the gift of discernment that particular gifting can be unpleasant. Knowing the presence of demons is unsettling at times and the reactions you may get from people that are possessed, to differing degrees, can be extreme. However, with the gift of discernment usually comes a deliverance ministry. People with discernment usually have more success in casting the demons out that God exposes to them than other people.
You see, God is the one that reveals the demonic and that means that He is either wanting you to be aware of their presence or He wants you to cast them out. I would suggest that you ask God if He wants to help you begin a ministry of deliverance and, if so, how he may want you to go about it.
People who are have strong demonic problems are tormented souls and they need to be rid of those demons. Perhaps God is revealing them to you so that you can cast them out with the finger of God. Deliverance is not a function of us but a function of the authority that Jesus has given us to use his name. We are nothing but Jesus is everything and when we tell the demons to leave in Jesus name they must obey.
I would start practicing. When you discern spirits find a way to lay hands on the person and adjure the demons to come out. Be prayed up though, some demons are pretty nasty.
God bless,
Michael
I was laid in the quiet thinking on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how people can struggle with them. I also was thinking that we should feel less fear and more confidence and dominance or boldness over the demonic. Ultimately the Bible does tell you that the spirit God gave you wasn’t of fear, timidity, but of courage and boldness (paraphrased)
2 Timothy 1:6
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
John 14:6,7
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Romans 8
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
So these verses make it perfectly clear that the gifts and spirit of God that are yours, that dwells in you, living in your temple, do not induce or give you fear, weakness and captivity! They bring you love, strength and freedom as a son or daughter of Abba Father!
It is important to get the clarity or the understanding of whom it is that actually operates these gifts we possess. We assume ‘it is us’, or can do, but more so the part that is ‘you’ in the gifts I think is submission. Submitting to allowing God to use you for others and even self.
Notably for me, the term ‘gifts’. You are given something, which then becomes your belonging. So not only are you given something, you are given something that God Himself will manifest and use through you, so again your basically a conduit with the gifts. It just adds to the Immanuel, or God is with us some more for me, takes it a little deeper.
Now the bit I wanted to say was when I was laying there in the silence, without even any music (which is rare) what came to mind was….”God scaffolds your heart with His own”.
I thought wow, now few weeks back I had that “God places His heart in yours”, this aids healing, especially when the heart pumps the oxygenated blood about the body for refreshing, restoration, renewal, healing of the body…the same happens spiritually with the heart of God. Not only are you alive spiritually with the breath of God IN you, His heart then pumps that breath around your soul or spiritual body bringing forth spiritual refreshing, restoration, renewal and healing of the soul and mind.
When scaffolding is put up on buildings etc…it is to aid workers to fix a problem of some description. So “God scaffolds your heart with His own”…scaffold, I find an interesting word to have cropped up in light of what it is used for in the world. So Gods heart being placed in yours, brings healing, restoration…fixes it.
You said…”Deliverance is not a function of us but a function of the authority that Jesus has given us to use his name. We are nothing but Jesus is everything and when we tell the demons to leave in Jesus name they must obey.”
This had me thinking about in the Bible where it says about being ‘ambassadors’ for God, that we are part of the government of God, as such what comes with that is authority. How we are to be light bringers to people, bringing the gospel of peace, love and reconciliation. To accomplish such things, there is a necessity, not a possibility but a necessity to operate with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to be effective ambassadors for God.
We should be walking in the revelation of God, more than walking in the Bible of God. This is a striking thing to say. People have made the Bible their idol and their God, instead of using it as a stepping stone to God, the author. It is the Word of God, it isn’t the Word of God in its entirety. To deny the very real working of God through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit today is beyond foolishness.
I spoke a while back and said…
There is a reason for Pentecost …
There is a reason for the Holy Spirit…
There is a reason for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit…
There is a reason for the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the central theme where the Holy Spirit is concerned. You eat the ‘fruit’ of this tree and the gifts which are borne from above, which help to feed the flock in building one another up. The stayability factor in it all, is the fact you are rooted in Jesus, whom is rooted through all things. He descended before He ascended as to fill the whole universe.
If you heart faith is in Him, then it stands to reason He will lead you into Truth, because you are being fed by Him, taking from the Tree of Life.
So when you emanate Jesus, through being open to God using you as a vessel or a conduit to His Spirit, Love and Peace, you too will be leading captives free…moreover Jesus is still leading captives free THROUGH you.
Be willing vessels, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Peace in Christ