The greek word "charitos" also means grace, favor, a gift or blessing, and kindness. In some contexts in scripture, it is used to mean the divine capacity and ability given to do something (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Some of the scriptures in which this term is used include:
- Romans 12:3,6 states, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ... We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith."
- Romans 15:15 states, "Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me."
- 1 Corinthians 3:10 states, "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it."
- Galatians 2:9 states, "James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised."
- Ephesians 3:2,7- "Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ... I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power."
- Romans 12:6a- “We have different gifts according to the grace given us.”
While at the university, I attended the Christian Union fellowship and I had the privilege of witnessing the divine nature and power of a unique spiritual gift, through a young man by the name of Jackson. The young man, upon baptism of the Spirit, was gifted with divine ability to compose and recite, all in a matter of minutes, swahili poems (shairis). The calibre of the shairis was that of a trained and experienced poet who has invested adequate time in composition and memorisation. Since grace (divine enablement) was upon Jackson, God would drop a rhema word for the congregation in Jackson's spirit and he would spontaneously begin to recite the shairis. This was not earned capacity, say through schooling, but divine capacity bestowed by the Holy Spirit for the strengthening of the body of Christ.
On the other hand, God can anoint natural abilities, and in that case, it is proper to call them spiritual gifts. When God wanted the Tabernacle constructed during the time of Moses, He gave divine capacity to Bezalel. Exodus 31:3 referring to Bezalel states, "... I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts." Exodus 35:31-33 seems like a repetition but further elaborates that, "he [God] has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship." Natural abilities when baptized in the Holy Spirit are made phenomenal in accomplishing the purposes of God.
Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and Ephesians 4:11-12 discuss various spiritual gifts. They include, prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving to needs, leadership, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kind of tongues, interpretation of tongues, apostleship, evangelism and pastoring. Please note that the gifts cited in these scriptures are not exhaustive, thus more spiritual gifts are available to believers.
Also noteworthy is that spiritual gifts are not proof of spiritual maturity but are freely given in Jesus Christ through the Spirit, for the fulfilment of God's purposes: service to the body of Christ and effective witnessing to the world. This means that a new believer may receive spiritual gifts but in their walk with God, they will also need to go through the sanctification process where their inner man will be transformed to bear fruit of the Spirit. In this regard, John Piper remarked, "spiritual gifts are not for our oohs and aahs, ..., they are a means to extend love and God's grace to others."
Apostle Paul urged us not to be ignorant about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). There are many believers who have lived lives that manifest the gifts of the Spirit, and in so doing they have fulfilled the purposes of God. The Apostles in the book of Acts are a great example of how the church was strengthened and the kingdom of God advanced as they ministered by gifts of the Spirit- healings, faith, wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, miracles, signs and wonders, among others.
On the contrary, there are many believers today who are serving God and yet are ignorant of spiritual gifts and their importance in fulfilling the missio dei. God has empowered us to fulfill His mission by gifting us with various graces through the Holy Spirit. It is sad to note that many believers continue to serve without desiring and asking for spiritual gifts. Consider brother Lawrence who lived during the 20th century Azusa Street revival and who full of the Spirit and power made his work station as a dish washer in a hotel, a place where his colleagues could find salvation, healing and deliverance. May God help us to realise the invaluable place of spiritual gifts in the life of a believer. These gifts are not merely for ministering in church gatherings but are also for ministry whenever and wherever God sends us in His mission.
The decline of ministering by spiritual gifts ought to perturb believers. Notwithstanding the abuse of the gifts, believers ought to desire spiritual gifts if they really are desirous of fulfilling the mandate of God upon their lives. When is the last time you prayed for a spiritual gift? What has been your attitude towards spiritual gifts? What has hindered you from desiring spiritual gifts? I pray that today, in faith, you will ask the Lord to fill you with a fresh desire for spiritual gifts. James 4:2-3 states, "... You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
I charge you in the Name of Jesus to take time to study God's Word on the subject of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual gifts. I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened so that you may know the glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19). As you study God's Word prayerfully, God will reveal His Word to you and instruct you on this matters, for He has given us His Spirit so that we may understand what He has freely given to us (1 Cor 2:12-13).
While a significant number of believers may be ignorant about spiritual gifts, more alarming is the fact that many believers do not desire these gifts. John Piper says, "I really believe that the problem of not knowing our spiritual gifts is not a basic problem. More basic is the problem of not desiring very much to strengthen other people’s faith." The venom of self-reliance has infiltrated the church corrupting it to believe that its natural abilites are adequate to fulfill the divine mandate placed upon it. The uneducated apostles such as Peter and John, as well as the learned ones like Luke and Paul, all needed the Spirit's power to accomplish the Great Commission. Every believer ought to wait upon the Lord for the baptism of the Spirit and also desire to be endowed with spiritual gifts, for service in the purposes of God. This is the blue print of service for the church; it is not an option amongst alternatives.
John 6:63 states that whatever proceeds from the flesh is of no avail but whatever proceeds from the Spirit is life. Thank God for state of the art instruments and highly accomplished worship leaders. Thank God for intellectually endowed deacons board and highly ranked corporate leaders constituting the leadership of our church departments. However, nothing can take the invaluable place of the Spirit as far as the Great Commisssion is concerned. Believers must continually remain in that place of dependence on the Holy Spirit in all dimensions of their lives. This is so vital, that Billy Graham made a prayer that God would strike him dead if he dared go up the pulpit on any day without recognising His dependance on the Spirit.
I minister in the gift of teaching God's Word because I received the grace to do so. I had the natural ability to teach since I was a young girl in nursery school. I remember putting across a proposal to my mum to be allowed to tutor a young boy in my class who lived close to our home, and who had learning challenges. Thankfully my mum granted the permission, and at that tender age of 5 years, I began to exercise my ability to teach. However, no matter how outstanding that natural gift may be, it is inadequate to accomplish the purposes of God. This natural gift must be anointed to make eternal impact for the Kingdom of God.
Fear is another enemy of believers operating in the gifts of the Spirit. What will people think? What if I make a mistake? What if I heard wrong and it is my own feeling rather than the prompting of God? These question have often crossed my mind and underlying the questions has been varied fears, including the fear of people, the fear of making a mistake, the fear of being judged wrongly, among others. Not once or twice, but numerable times, I have allowed this fear to cripple me and in so doing, I have disobeyed the promptings of the Spirit. Please note that inaction to the Spirit's promptings is disobedience. The antidote of the fear is God's Word. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 states, "... I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Paul urges believers to fan their gifts. Fanning entails doing. Some believers want to read about many spiritual matters but they do not want to exercise what they have learnt. Learning how to drive a car in the classroom is the easiest part of the lesson. The true test comes when we practically have to drive the car. I charge you by the grace of God to move out of your comfort zone and begin to avail yourself to be used of God. For example, lay hands on the sick whenever there is an opportunity to do so; step out in courage and share that word that has been laid in your heart regarding somebody/a situation; pray in tongues when you feel a burden laid in your heart that you cannot explain etc. Secondly, our love for God compels us to minister to others, whether we are comfortable about it or not. The love of God will cast out the fears that hinder us from accomplishing the purposes of God. 1 John 4:18 states that perfect love casts out fear.
Another hinderance to believers ministering by spiritual gifts is, treating casually or with contempt the gifts of God. Rarely are we able to use what we do not value. It saddens God that He has presented spritual gifts to each believer, and yet few pay attention to those gifts to unwrap them. Many things, including pursuits for material wealth and career success, have occupied our hearts and this has corrupted our attitudes towards varied spiritual matters. Irrespective of the times we live in, Paul instructs us not to neglect the gifts given us (1 Timothy 4:14). If you have neglected certain gifts in your life, repent and ask the Lord to help you to obey Him in using the gifts as the Spirit of God guides.
In being used of God humility is a mandatory virtue. We must never allow pride to seep into our minds and turn our hearts away from God. A believer who manifests the gifts of healing for example, is not used as such because they are more spiritual than others. A gift is given and not earned. There is nothing that you have done or will ever do that will make you earn a spiritual gift. It is a work of grace, and has nothing to do with our "credentials and qualifications". We must learn from Jesus Christ, who though God, did not consider equality with God. Instead, He chose to consider himself as nothing; he humbled himself and became obedient to death which was the will of God for Him (Philippians 2:5-8). I pray that you will become nothing, that Jesus may be everything in your life. I pray that you will decrease that Jesus may increase in you (John 3:30).
