There is so much that I want to blog, but most of my thoughts will probably never materialize on the screen. I'm in a season of self discovery, or perhaps re-discovery. Not by choice, but by circumstance. Apparently some seminary classes love to make you think about yourself and your future ministry.

One such class is called Spiritual Formation and one of our tasks was to read a book call Discover Your God-Given Gifts by Don & Katie Fortune. In summary, this couple created a personality test to inventory the motivational spiritual gifts of individuals.

By motivational gifts, they mean the seven gifts mentioned in Romans 12: Perciever (prophet), Server, Teacher, Exhorter, Giver, Administrator, Compassion person (mercy). They focus on these gifts because they are the ones that we possess as personality traits and we have control over exerting.  In comparison, the manifestation gifts (1 Cor. 12) are gifts to the people being ministered to, not the people acting as a conduit for ministry, and are dictated by the will of the Holy Spirit. Also, the ministerial gifts (Ephesians 4) are gifts to the church for the purpose of equipping the Body of Christ and these gifts are people rather than possessions.  Thus, the authors focus on the motivational gifts because they are the ones we actually possess  and that we choose to operate in or neglect based on our free will (14-18).

As Christians everyone ministers in all the gifts to a certain extent, but each individual has dominate gifts ingrained into the essence of who they are. If you are experiencing frustration, the authors of this book believe that there is a good chance that you are neglecting to operate in your gifts. Likewise, if you are finding joy in your spiritual life, it is likely that you are operating and developing your gifts.

So I took the quiz, and my top four categories were within eleven points of one another: Perciever (91/100 possible points), Exhorter (88), Teacher (82), and Administrator (80).  In other words,  I am designed to excel at meeting spiritual, mental, psychological and functional needs while declaring the will of God, encouraging personal progress, resourcing and teaching truth, and giving leadership and direction in the lives of those around me. Surprising? Not at all. Forgotten? Maybe.

The score sheet from this assessment reminded me of another personality inventory I took years ago. According to Strength Finder's, my top skills are: Achiever, Communication, Connectedness, Learner, and Self-Assurance. If you are familiar with the assessment, you'll notice that the qualities listed definitely affirm the motivational gift test results.


It's amazing to see how God has shaped and is continually shaping my personality. The challenge is continually choosing to live a life that exhibits that personality and to serve others by utilizing my personal gifts. When we neglect our gifts, we often feel incomplete and unsatisfied because we aren't fulfilling our God given purpose.

To be honest, that is kind of how I feel most days. I'm not referring to depression, but a sense of frustration because I feel out of place. The moments that I find most joy in are the times that I am praying with people, sharing the message of the Gospel, showing someone something new about God, studying God's word, or overseeing a group. I do find these joys in my life, but not often enough.

The questions that surfaces are: am I intentionally or subconsciously neglecting to step into the areas that highlight my giftings? Or are circumstances not providing the opportunity to choose to serve in those areas? Or is it some combination of the two? And how do I continue to utilize and develop my personality and gifts in a way that glories the One who created and is continually transforming me?