What is your God-given gift?

 Years ago, I had the priviledge of sitting in on a seminar given by Don and Katie Fortune. I do not say this lighty...it changed the way that I look at my children and myself. At that time, my son and daughter where both very young and I could already see their "gifts" coming through via their personalities! I was also able to pin-point mine. It has been VERY helpful especially in raising my children.

 I've always been a big fan of the personality trait chart of Sanguine, Choleric, Melencholic, Phlegmatic in helping to better understand myself and others' personalities.

This takes it all even a step further and is based on Romans 12:6-8. The Fortunes show in Scripture where there are 3 different gifts that God gives.


1) Motivational Gifts that we all posses - Romans 12:6-8 (see below)

• Perceiver (listed as prophet in this passage, but as to not be confused with "prophet" as a ministry gift they have labled it as "perceiver"), one who clearly perceives the will of God. 
• Server, one who loves to serve others. Another appropriate word is "doer." 
• Teacher, one who loves to reserach and communicate truth. 
• Exhorter, one who loves to encourage other to live victorious lives. 
• Giver, one who loves to give time, talent, energy, and means to benefit others and advance the Gospel. Another word could be "contributor". 
• Administrator, one who loves to organizer, lead, or direct. Other words could be "facilitator" or "leader". 
• Compassion person, one who shows compassion, love, and care to those in need. They say "compassion" instead of "mercy" since this word is more comprehensive in today's usage. 

"Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He who's gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching; [He who] exhorts, encourages to his exhortation; [He who] contributes let him do it in simplicity and liverality; [He who] gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; [He who] does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness." 

I also love that they say that "we are all endowed with enough of each gift to be able to operate in that area to some degree, when called on." At first glance, it may seem that you or your child fall into more than one catagory. But each of us has a primary gifting. Focus in on that one and you'll be amazed at how learning more about your strengths and weeknesses can help you live a more balanced life. I'm all about trying to be more BALANCED! :-) "Joy is the byproduct of operating in your motivational gift. Frustration is the byproduct of trying to operate outside of it." 

The other 2 sets of giftings listed in the Bible are:

• The Manifestation Gifts listed in I Corinthians 12
• The Ministry Gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11

I cannot stress enough the value of both of these books! They cover the same topic but in different ways for aldults vs. children. Amazon.com has them both available if you're interested. I recommend getting them both.

The Fortunes say, "The original Hebrew included the insight that each child has a gift - a motivational gift and a bent - direction to be fulfilled by uing his motionaltial gift. We as parents then, have a responsiblity to discover our child's giftedness and to "train them up" in it, to encourage the development of that gift, so that when he/she comes of age he will be using that giftedness to the glory of God and for his own true fulfillment."

They are speaking on the familiar child-rearing verse in Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." Thus the above reference to the Hebrew meaning behind the verse saying that it is our responsbility as parents to discover their "God-given gift" or bent and then train them with that in mind.

There is so much more within the covers of these two books that are helpful!

When I heard this really neat couple speak 6(ish) years ago, I became very excited about learning all I could about my motivational gift as well as my husbands and childrens. Now 6 years later, I had the opportunity to share this topic with our youth girls at church. It was really neat seeing them try to figure out what their gift was and then be excited to understand that God had specifically made them the way He did for a reason! With a specific "gift" in mind for each of them! Really fun stuff to better understand the Word of God and all the treasures that he has inside it for each of us.


Be willing to DIG out spriritual truthes. 

The older I get the more I devore books! They are not infaluable though. It is important that we have a spirit of discernment whenever we read something whether a book, artivle, blog, ebook, etc. Take the good, research the questionable, throw out the unwise or unbiblical. But never stop LEARNING and GROWING in the things of the Lord!