Most of the time, this is where you take a test that is comprised of a whole bunch of questions and then the answers are tallied up and you get results: You have the following gifts…

Before we are completed with our study, I’ll give you a link to a very good assessment test, but it isn’t quite that simple. As we’ve been going through the various gifts, I’ve had some comments from y’all in which people have indicated that they think they have this or that gift… and they may well be right. There have been other comments from folks who have been through classes and taken tests in the past indicating this or that gift as well and they are probably correct. I like to add a little bit before reaching any conclusions that many others don’t do, and the reason is that it is sometimes hard to tell the difference at first, between a spiritual gift and a natural talent or inclination, or even training and experience.

As an example, I have training and experience in various aspects of administration, and I always score very high on the tests for this; one time I was even made a church treasurer because I’m pretty good at the kind of thing. The only problem is that I absolute can’t stand it! Yuk!!  I highly doubt that I have this as a spiritual gift, but I can pitch in and help when necessary. I am not a “detail” guy, I’m a “big picture” kind of guy, and that shows up in the way I teach, and I do have the gift of teaching. Thus, the way I approach things seems simpler than the way a detail person would, because I give enough details to see the larger point without the little details that make it harder to discern.

See the difference?

So, here’s what I propose: In the next two posts, I’ll give you a bunch of personality related questions for you to consider In a class, I hand out forms, but since this blogging format doesn’t lend itself to posting forms, we’ll need to muddle through as best we can. When I put this together into a pdf, I’ll include forms for those who might want to teach this at some point.

After that, I’ll provide a link to an online test, and then we’ll get back together here with one or two more question sessions to help you complete the picture. Finally, I’ll post about how to put these gifts into action in everyday life.

See you back later on for the first batch of questions!