What are Spiritual Gifts?

Romans 12 mentions the following spiritual gifts:
1.      Prophecy (preaching, inspired utterance)
2.      Service (ministry)
3.      Teaching
4.      Exhortation (stimulating faith, encouraging)
5.      Giving (contributing, generosity, sharing)
6.      Leadership (authority, ruling, administration)
7.      Mercy (sympathy, comfort to the sorrowing, showing kindness) 

First Corinthians 12 adds (without repeating those already listed from Romans):
8.      Wisdom (wise advice, wise speech)
9.      Knowledge (studying, speaking with knowledge)
10.    Faith
11.    Healing
12.    Miracles
13.    Discerning of spirits (discrimination in spiritual matters)
14.    Tongues (speaking in languages never learned, ecstatic utterance)
15.    Interpretation of tongues
16.    Apostle
17.    Helps
18.    Administration (governments, getting others to work together)

Administration
Persons gifted in the area of administration are goal- and objective-oriented. They often have strong organizational skills and are able to coordinate resources to accomplish tasks quickly. They are motivated by accomplishing desired tasks and often derive great satisfaction from viewing the results of what they have accomplished. You might consider being involved in an area of ministry in which you can utilize your organizational strengths to carry out the church’s measurable goals. (Measurable goals are objectives such as numerical growth, ministries advance, missions expansion.)

Exhortation / Encouragement
Persons gifted in the area of exhortation have a special ability to encourage others in the body of Christ by giving them words of comfort, encouragement, and counsel in times of need in accordance with God’s Word. They are attracted to individuals seeking spiritual growth and often are willing to share their past personal failures to help motivate others toward greater spiritual maturity. They are not afraid to confront, yet they do so with humility and with a desire to restore the individual to fellowship with God and his people. Persons gifted in exhortation can make accurate assessments of people’s spiritual needs and have the ability to explain truth logically: giving step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. You might consider being involved in an area where you can use your strengths to minister one-on-one to people in need.

Giving
Persons gifted in the area of giving have the ability to give material goods and financial resources with joy so that the needs of the Lord’s work are met. They often can discern wise investments and usually are effective money managers. They want to give quietly without recognition and are encouraged when they know needs are being met and prayers are being answered. These persons are more likely to give at the Lord’s promptings than at human’s appeals. They have the ability to see financial needs others may overlook. You might consider prayerfully what ministries of the church to support with your finances and how your example can motivate others to follow the Lord’s leadership in their giving.

Helps
Persons gifted in the area of helps are motivated by a desire to further the church’s ministry by meeting the needs of others. They enjoy giving immediate help to individuals in order to relieve them of their financial burdens and responsibilities. While these persons are willing to do whatever is needed, they are motivated more by a desire to provide assistance than by a desire to accomplish a task. You might consider being involved in a ministry in which you can provide assistance to someone to enable them to be more effective than they would be without you.

Leadership
Persons gifted in the area of leadership have the ability to lead others toward spiritual growth. They often are considered visionary and have the ability to set goals and motivate others toward accomplishing the goals. They usually have the ability to communicate effectively to large groups of people. These persons often are chosen for leadership positions because of their ability to accomplish objectives. While giftedness in leadership is similar to giftedness in administration, persons gifted in leadership often are more concerned with the “big picture” than with the details of accomplishing tasks. You might consider being involved in an area of ministry in which you can use your strengths to lead others in accomplishing the church’s measurable and non-measurable goals. (Non-measurable goals are objectives such as spiritual growth, atmosphere, and attitudes.)

Mercy
Persons gifted in the area of mercy have immediate compassion and empathy for those who are suffering physically, spiritually, or emotionally. They derive great joy from meeting the needs of others and often attract people who are in distress. These persons usually need friendships in which there is deep communication and mutual commitment. They have the ability to draw out the feelings of others and are willing to be vulnerable to hurts, both directly and from feeling the hurts of others. They prefer to remove the causes of hurts rather than to look for spiritual benefits from them. Persons gifted in mercy have a tendency to avoid confrontation and firmness. They often close their spirit to those whom they feel are overly harsh or critical.  You might consider being involved in an area of ministry that enables you to minister to those who are hurting and who need the sensitivity you have to offer.

Prophecy
Persons gifted in the area of prophecy have the ability to proclaim (forth-tell) God’s Word without compromise. They have strong convictions and expect others to have similar convictions. They need to express themselves verbally, especially about right and wrong. These persons may be quick to make judgments of others and quick to speak their opinions. They possess an unusual ability to discern others’ sincerity and may be painfully direct when correcting others. They are persuasive in defining right and wrong and are persistent in expressing their feelings about the need for change. You might look for a ministry area in which you can challenge others to live by God’s standards as set forth in His Word.

Service
Persons gifted in the area of service have the ability to perform any task with joy and humility that benefits others and meets practical needs. They may have a tendency to disregard personal health and comfort to serve others. They often have difficulty saying no when asked to serve. These persons often have an affinity for details and appreciate having clear instructions. They enjoy the process of serving as much as the end result and derive satisfaction from being with others who are serving.  You might consider being involved in an area of ministry in which your strengths of faithfulness and attention to detail can be utilized.

Teaching
Persons gifted in the area of teaching have the ability to explain God’s Word so that others can understand and apply it in their lives. They have the desire and ability to research and present truth in an organized, systematic fashion. They are alert to details and place great emphasis on accuracy. These persons are motivated by the desire to learn and share knowledge with others. They believe strongly in the importance of teaching as a basic foundation on which the church grows and remains faithful. You might consider being involved in a ministry in which you can challenge others with Bible truths that you have discovered in your personal studies.

Knowledge
Persons gifted in the area of knowledge have the ability to understand in an exceptional way the truths of God’s Word and to make them known to others (benefiting the Body of Christ).  This person enjoys studying Scripture to collect the facts and speaks the truth in love.  You might consider being involved in the teaching ministry of the church.

Wisdom
Persons gifted in the area of wisdom have the ability to understand and rightly apply the truths of God’s Word to various situations in life.  This person expresses the knowledge of truth in relevant and practical ways.  He / she gives wise advice and counsel leading others into a godly course of action in making decisions.  You might consider being involved in a ministry that mentors others.

Discernment
Persons gifted in the area of discernment have the ability to discriminate in spiritual matters – spiritual truth and counterfeits.  This person may be able to distinguish between the truth and the lie and to discern dangers in following certain paths of thought or teaching.  You might consider being involved in an area where you can provide guidance or insight.

Faith
Persons gifted in the area of faith have the ability to “keep their eyes on Jesus” no matter the circumstances in life.  They truly believe that “God is able” and are often visionary and optimistic.  They take seriously God’s promises, provision, and presence so as to stand with confidence in Him at all times.  You might consider being involved in an area that would allow you to encourage others and spur them on in love and good works even when they are hurting or in need.