First, the spiritual gifts are given for the sole purpose of building up the Body of Christ. They are not given for the purpose of growing an individual. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” I Corinthians 12:7. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by ever supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:11-16. In other words, if you are interested in identifying your spiritual gift for any reason other than how it can build up the body of Christ you are on the wrong search. Gifts were given for one reason only – to be used to build up the church and not for personal enrichment. Gifts not dedicated to the maturity of the whole Body become distorted and ultimately useless – if not downright harmful.

Second, the gifts fall roughly into three categories:

There are the signs of the Holy Spirit described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” They, in a way, announce the special presence of the Holy Spirit both to believers and non-believers.

There are what we call the equipping gifts Paul listed in Ephesians 4. They are given to individuals for the express purpose of preparing the people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. One cannot be a pastor or evangelist or teacher and lose sight of the sole purpose of that gift. It is only for preparing people for works of service and building them up toward maturity. If people are not being prepared for works of service or not growing toward maturity then we are missing something important.

There are what we call the motivational gifts in Romans 12 as they describe gifts that seem to be consistent with the way God has created us and gifts that describe the way we operate in life and in the Church. That is the list we are looking at this morning.

Finally, we all have a mix of gifts and we are not purely one or another. We often have a combination of two or even three but I don’t believe anyone possesses them all.

2.  So, let’s look at the remaining four motivational gifts this morning.

The Gift of Giving:

Giving is not the same as having the gift of giving. 76% of the American population gave to something last year but people who study these things say that only 6% of people in the church have the actual gift of giving. What’s the difference?

While giving is not absolutely restricted to money, most of the reference in Scripture to giving relate to money. People with the gift of giving have a special awareness of what money can do and they are motivated to make that happen. They use money like a tool just like the server uses their hands or the teacher their knowledge. In a sense, they are craftsmen or artists with money.

They do not wait to be asked but they are proactive and looking for ways to give. You don’t have to pry it out of them. When they walk into a room they quickly start thinking about what needs doing that a little or a lot of money could make happen.

People with the gift of giving seem to always have money to give and cannot explain why. It’s just there. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” They are not only interested in being made rich in every way but see that as a means to an end.

I like the King James Version of this verse. “He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity.” They have the ability to focus on what is important. They are not motivated by recognition or influence. They love doing it for itself and without fanfare. Giving satisfies them.

They are comfortable with money and can enjoy it. They often talk about it casually and sometimes forget that is taboo in many situations.

They are not foolish but they tend to be trusting and open to new ideas and people.

Regardless of the amount, they get genuine satisfaction from doing it.

Are there problems and dark sides? Absolutely.

They are subject to pride.

They fall prey to the desire to control and manipulate others through giving. They think money deserves special privileges.

They become cynical and confused. They run out of joy before they run out of money.

We need them but we also need others to balance them. What does that look like?

The Gift of Encouragement:

I call this the gift of Coaching because the word means more than saying nice things to people. It means spurring people on and raising their expectations about what they can do. When they walk into a room they ask, “Who here can I make successful?”

If the teacher aims for the head – the coach aims for the heart and the will.

They are researchers of people. They want to know what they can build on. It’s the relationship between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas saw things in Paul no one else did and even though they eventually split we will never know what Paul would have been without him. Bob Kersey was track star Jackie Joiner’s coach and husband. He said, “I don’t care about fame and fortune but I want to be remembered by the few athletes I coached.”

The coach is a builder of people. They want to help people live up to their full potential and overcome obstacles and they do this in practical ways. They prescribe steps and pointers as ways to get there. Again, they are not just people who say nice things. They are motivated by people becoming better.

They tend to be good communicators but with the express purpose of helping people grow. They don’t want people to just listen but to make changes in their lives.

They are great people to have in your life when you are stuck – but only if you are serious about getting unstuck.

Do they have problems and dark sides? For sure.

They may be “cut and dried” in prescribing steps of action. They know what you need to do.

They are always glad to tell you what they think because what they think is good for you.

They are accepting of people with talent and potential – sometimes too much so.

We need them but we need others to balance them. What does that look like?

The Gift of Leadership:

I don’t think Paul meant the gift of visionary leadership in the way we use it today. I think he meant it more as the gift of being responsible and making people effective. That is why this gift is sometimes referred to as the gift of administration. Too often we imagine leadership being the person who is most visible or upfront when what Paul is talking about is the gift of making things work and people productive.

They are highly motivated to organize that for which they are responsible. They don’t just blow the trumpet and say, “Charge!” The leader’s question is always “How can I organize this group to go with me and get this done?” They like overcoming obstacles to get to the goal. Most of all, they enjoy responsibility for organizations and groups. Remember the prayer of Solomon as a young man? “Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

They see the long term and are not sprinters. They enjoy thinking through the use of resources to grow an organization toward accomplishing a purpose.

They know how to delegate and make people effective. George Barna’s research shows that only 3% of pastors have the gift of leadership because they would rather do something or simply abdicate than delegate it. Those with the gift of leadership love matching the right person in the right work. One consultant called it “getting extraordinary results through ordinary people.” As a result, they attract people who enjoy getting results. In 1 Chronicles 12:22 it is said that “Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great and mighty army.” Leaders inspire people to do more than good enough.

Do they have weaknesses? Of course.

Their desire for high achievement does not always make room for people who do not share the same vision or goals. They leave people behind.

They can fall into the trap of using people to accomplish their own goals and purposes.

They tend to be driven and neglect their personal and family needs. The organization and the vision become primary.

We need them and we need other people to balance them. What does this look like?

The Gift of Mercy:

I like the way The Message says it. “If you are called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.”

The one with the gift of compassion has a supernatural capacity to show love. All of us are enjoined to “love one another” but the person with this gift is energized by caring for people. They are not immune to discouragement but they have a special affinity for people who are hurting.

They are unusually sensitive to people, knowing almost at a glance if they are up or down, confident or fearful. When they say, “How are you?” they mean it. They read everything about other people.

They are attracted to people who are hurting or in distress. As a child they probably brought home stray dogs or wounded birds. They felt sorry for shunned classmates. But, they are not just overly sensitive. They want to fix things. They want to find a home for the stray and fix the bird’s wing. They are not just bleeding hearts. They are not put off by pain. They are actually drawn to it.

They love to do thoughtful things for others and they are the ones who remember birthdays without Facebook reminders. They remember anniversaries and important events in the lives of other people. They give gifts and write notes.

They always have time for people – sometimes with the result of running late themselves. They are the last to leave any event and are often in the corner with someone.

They sound too good to be true or like someone we should all aspire to be. But they have problems as well.

They avoid hurting the feelings and will not be comfortable with confrontation.

They can be hurt by others easily.

They will take on the worries and problems of others.

We need them and we need other people to balance them. What does that look like?

3.  Whenever I look at the gifts of the Spirit in Paul’s writings I wonder what it might have looked like to see all of these working together. I’m not sure, given human nature, that they ever did but it’s something to imagine. As well, what might our church or even our class look like if we all exercised our gifts for the sole purpose of strengthening the body here. What if those with gifts of leadership were encouraged to be responsible for making people effective and productive? What if those with the gift of encouragement were challenged with people to build? What if the gifts of giving, mercy, and telling the truth of God in love were more emphasized? Too often, it is the gifts of teaching and serving that are most rewarded or recruited. However, what a difference it would certainly make if others were to catch the vision of what Paul was after – the unity and strength of the body – and begin to say, “I know what God has gifted me to do for the purpose of building up the body and I am going to find a way to use it this year. I am not going to discover my gift for my own personal fulfillment but to be used by God for the building up and maturity of the body of Christ.”