EVERYONE HAS SPECIAL GIFTS
by Peter MastersFROM SWORD & TROWEL 1999 No 1
THE TRUTH THAT each believer has certain special gifts from the Lord is asserted in a number of Bible passages. ‘Unto every one of us,’ says Paul, ‘is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’[1] He says that different gifts are distributed among us.[2] We are intended to recognise these gifts, and to employ them. ‘As every man hath received the gift,’ says Peter, ‘even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’[3] Paul says much the same in writing to Timothy - ‘Neglect not the gift that is in thee.’[4] It is a great shame that when we speak of gifts we sometimes think only of sign-gifts or miraculous gifts. The gifts of which Paul and Peter speak obviously go beyond these. They include ‘natural’ abilities (often activated or refined by God at the time of conversion), and also gifts of ‘opportunity’. In one list of gifts Paul includes the gift of ruling, the ability to care for others, and the opportunity for large stewardship.[5] This article will mention twenty-one possible gifts, although there are more. Those listed
could be subdivided into a quite bewildering number of special abilities. It seems to this writer, having
thought about the matter for some time, that every child of God probably has at least a third of them. A
few may possess more than a third, but mostly there is great equality. The Lord has put us all on the same
footing. Each believer has roughly the same number as another, and we therefore depend upon each other
to make up a whole complement of abilities. This is a humbling as well as an uplifting subject. We are all
significant, and all must exercise the gifts entrusted to them.
Before we list those special abilities, three brief points must be made.
First, gifts are not given for our personal benefit, but for the advance of the church. When Paul mentions the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, he says they were given, ‘For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ They were intended to bring churches to maturity, to ‘the stature of the fulness of Christ’.[6] They were also given for the protection of the church: ‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro.’[7] This applies to all special gifts or abilities given to believers. They are for the benefit of the church. Secondly, the gifts of all believers are to be employed in evangelism. Paul says: ‘From
whom [Christ] the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.’[8] When all the gifts of members are employed, the church
will grow.
Thirdly, most of these gifts are possessed by every Christian to some degree.
As we proceed through the following list, readers may think, ‘Surely every Christian should do this.’ An
obvious example is the gift to witness. There is no doubt, however, that a special portion of
each ability or opportunity is distributed by God among believers, according to His will, and they should
recognise this, and respond. We now list some of the gifts distributed around the people of God.
The first to be noted is the gift to teach. Every believer can teach to some
extent. We teach our own children, and we explain things to one another. But there are some who possess
a distinctive ability for this. They expound the Word, exhort the people and persuade sinners to be saved.
They, perhaps, can see the message in the Scripture more readily than others.
Yet this teaching gift is not restricted to preachers. Many have a great gift for teaching
young people and children. Indeed, there are many good preachers who are no use at all for teaching
children. One of the most noted preachers of this century told of how he gave an address to children early
in his ministry, and afterwards his wife told him he must never try it again. He complied, and never again
spoke to children. The Lord has equipped many for children, who cannot teach adults.
This writer has known several people who have been remarkable teachers of children and who could hold spellbound the largest and potentially most unruly gatherings. Yet he would never have imagined they possessed such power before seeing them in action. There are more gifted teachers than we sometimes realise, but they will never be apparent unless we pray for them. The Lord commanded all His people, saying, ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.’[9] If we pray, we might discover many capable people in our midst. Another gift to be mentioned is that of shepherding. Sometimes shepherds are
the least noticed people in a church fellowship, and yet they accomplish so much. This ability, like
teaching, is often unexpected. There are people who are very retiring and unobtrusive, and you would
never think of them as having a great influence upon others. Then you discover that they are among the
most effective shepherds. They know how to counsel in a right and acceptable spirit. They have an eye
for what is needed, and they possess the humility, gentleness and warmth to give vital counsel. Of course,
all should possess this grace, but for some it is a special gift. They know how to advise, when to advise,
and when not to advise. They know how to console, to comfort, to admonish, without a trace of hectoring
or superiority.
Some of the major troubles experienced in churches occur because people admonish others on
sensitive issues when they have no real gift. In no time they set up shock-waves of reaction and offence.
Shepherding is a great gift to the church. Perhaps the reader has such a gift. I do not want to excite
anyone to pride. What is one gift among so many? But if we recognise that we have a concern for others,
and can see how they may be approached, and God gives us grace, then we have a responsibility to yield
that gift to the service of the Lord.
The gifted shepherd is never a busybody, interfering in other people’s lives in order to ‘run’
them. The true shepherd has the humility to know when a person should be referred to a pastor or elder.
His gift is unobtrusively and quietly exercised, without drawing attention to himself.
This may well be the gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.28 -
helps. But what kind of helps? I believe they are people of exceptional sensitivity and kindness.
They possess a gift of friendship. They are intuitively aware of people’s needs, and support them. They
have compassion for the fallen, sympathy for the troubled and great gentleness in the way they go about
helping. Those helped do not see them as counsellors, but as friends. There is a special grace about them,
and without them a fellowship is poor indeed.
Another important gift is the gift of discernment. Every Christian has a
measure of this, but some seem to have a most acute faculty. They may have a keen sense of danger,
seeing problems long before others perceive them. It may be that a church is organising something,
perhaps a children’s activity, and then a far-sighted member of the group will spot a down-side, a
potential problem, or an omission, which must be taken account of.
There are cases where a sense of danger would have saved a church from doctrinal disaster.
Many years ago I knew a church that lost its minister. Another was to be called. The church became very
attached to a young man who was on an entirely different theological wavelength. Most of the members
were too struck by his outgoing personality to notice his deficiencies. But there were one or two members
who saw the danger. They realised that he possessed a woefully low view of Scripture, and a readiness to
follow the trends of worldly Christianity.
One of these cautious brethren, an elderly, retired man, who had served as a deacon, tried to
bring the problem to the attention of the church leaders. They would not listen. When the proposed
appointment was discussed in a church meeting, this elderly brother expressed his concerns. He was met
with murmurs of impatience and disapproval. People did not want to listen. His fears were given no
consideration. The young man was called as pastor, and the church eventually lost all depth of teaching
and practice, becoming so enfeebled that it was one of the first to fall into the hands of the charismatic
movement.
One person saw the issues clearly, but his discernment was neither valued nor heeded. All
the ‘gifts’ are important to a church, and people who see issues and their implications are precious.
(When we speak of people gifted with special discernment, we do not of course mean those who are
merely negative and critical about everything.)
Another gift, related to the last but quite distinctive, is a special ability to
solve problems. Some can see problems, but not solve them, and others do not see them
coming, but they know the best way of dealing with them. These friends are very astute. Almost
intuitively they figure out the best way of securing a good outcome. We value such people in every
department of the work of a church.
Yet another gift, again possibly overlapping somewhat with the previous one, is the
gift of organisation. This extends beyond problem solving. There are people who can take
up a vision or idea which is not necessarily their own, and show how it can best be operated. We need the
gift of organisation to a special degree in church life because our workforce is composed almost entirely
of volunteers, and this gives rise to enormous complications.
It may be that we operate a large Sunday School. Historically, churches have sometimes had
Sunday Schools larger than day-schools. We thank God for people who can make it all work happily and
harmoniously. It could be that the gift of organisation is one of the few that such people possess, because
the Lord is infinitely wise in the distribution of gifts. We have already suggested that no believer has too
many, for that would give rise to great pride, and create a caste system in the church.
Yet another special ability, is that of responsibility. Every Christian should be
responsible, but there are those who notice before anyone else that classes are falling in size, or that vital
things are not being done, and they feel about it. Such people are the ones who turn out lights
and lock doors. They are the most diligent at visiting their Sunday School children. Everyone recognises
that they have ‘a safe pair of hands’. They have a gift of responsibility and they cannot rest until their
commitments are honoured. Responsibility is needed throughout the church, and it is certainly a prime
qualification for office.
Another gift is a special ability for witness. This may take the form of an unusual
talent, or better-than-usual opportunities. There are some who have better opportunities on account of
where they work or who they mix with. They have access to many people, either at work or in college.
For them, there is a good openness to witness. While every believer must witness, for these it is clearly
their ministry.
Some believers are given unusual capability. They are at ease in the work of witness. They
enjoy a ready acceptance with people. They have a natural fluency. They interact with people
sympathetically and effectively. They seem unaffected by shyness. Anyone who has such a gift should not
feel proud, but accountable. If God has bestowed such a gift, it must be exercised.
Another gift is that of empathy. Some Christians possess a strong natural
relationship with certain categories of people. We have already referred to teachers who have the power
to cast a spell over children. They relate very naturally to them. Their gift cuts through all barriers,
enabling them to control a class, however excitable.
Others relate particularly well to the elderly; others with teenagers (a rare talent). The gift of
empathy seems to equip possessors with an instinct for how to behave. They slip into a group as naturally
as can be, and are accepted.
Anyone who has received an ability for ease of association, ought to be exercising it. How
shall we face the Lord if such a gift has been allowed to lie dormant for years?
We now come to a gift which covers many talents. Virtually every believer has some
mental gift, either with figures, or with languages, or with the letter. We must find a way of
exercising our mental capacity to the glory of God. In particular we shall comment here on the gift of
memory. Some people have astonishing powers of recollection. They can remember names,
faces, and circumstances of people in great detail. What a tragedy if that gift only fuels gossip and ‘small
talk’! People sometimes talk to one another for hours about the affairs of others. Their remarkable
memories are wasted, because they are not applied to the needs of other believers, or the progress of
people under spiritual impressions.
An excellent memory is a gift which is greatly refined by conversion. It is not for chitter-
chatter and irrelevancies. Of course there has to be some ‘small talk’ in life, but that precious gift is
chiefly to be exercised in the work of God.
Another great gift is boldness and vision. Those equipped with this are often
full of ideas for what might be done to further the Gospel. Their vision, of course, needs to be tested by
others with different gifts, but the bold visionary is usually the first to see possibilities. If they head
departments for the young, they will always have something different in mind, in terms of presentation.
Operating within the bounds of biblical orthodoxy, vision is a priceless gift of imagination. Unfortunately
some possessors only exercise their gift at home. They decorate, then decorate again; they innovate and
extend; but they never dream dreams about the work of the Lord. It would be much better for them to
paint everything at home magnolia, and then apply their imagination to the work of the Lord.
Yet another valuable gift is that of unusually strong feeling. How we value
those who feel deeply about matters! They possess infectious enthusiasm and inject a special vigour and
impetus into the work of God. They provide an example of great emotional commitment. They inspire
and motivate everyone with their great warmth. When soul-searching and sorrow is called for, such
people lead the way in this also. We are certainly glad everyone is not like this, because that would be
overwhelming. But this gift can be one of the most important in the building of a ‘dynamic’ and sincere
church.
This gift is balanced by another - the gift of a cool brain. After speaking with
someone who possesses strong feelings, we may find the cool-brained person a cold fish, but this would
be unfair. Such people may be as feelingful as anyone else, but it is locked inside them. They have a
cautious mind and a reflective way of thinking. They are analytical, and often meticulous for detail. They
are an anchor in the fellowship, giving stability. Indeed, they are the cement holding things together. They
calm down enthusiasm when it needs to be calmed a little. They are not negative people, or ‘wet
blankets’, but they value realism. The one with strong feelings pours in enthusiasm, while the cooler
person analyses and perfects matters. We need this blend of capacities and gifts.
Yet another gift is the ability to work. People so gifted have within them great
energy and drive. This gift is different from enthusiasm, because the enthusiast may lead the field in
emotional commitment, but may lack the strength to see a project through, and maintain the effort. Some
people are amazing workers. In some cases you wonder how their bodies can physically take it, because
they are always on the go. They seem to have unlimited supplies of strength. What a blessing it is to have
a scattering of people who have undying stamina. If you are gifted with this mental and physical
discipline and application, make sure it is applied to the Lord’s work. Is it mainly directed outside the
work of God, or is it directed within?
Some believers have a remarkable special ability - unusual strength for trial.
They are not just stoics, but they can stand up under great pressure. They can be patient in the most
troubling circumstances. Whatever is hurled at them, or at the church, they will be sure to stand, and to
show the rest of us how to stand also. They do not go to pieces. They are like extra buoyancy in a ship
passing through turbulent seas. They have a gift combining patience, faith, courage and commitment to a
high degree. Every fellowship needs those with such capacities as these.
A gift always appreciated among believers is the gift of humour. Humour goes
hand-in-hand with the gift of cheerfulness, but they are different, because you can be
cheerful without having a very productive sense of humour. Godly humour and cheerfulness lift people
up, and help to keep difficult times sweet.
Some believers have the gift of special faith in prayer. I speak very carefully
about this, because every child of God has the gift of prayer. But there is such a thing in Scripture as the
gift of faith. Those who possess it have an unusually fruitful ministry of prayer. It is a calling for them,
and they must exercise that gift.
Every believer also has the gift of stewardship, but there are some who have
opportunities and provisions beyond the normal. God so guides them in life that they are prospered for
this ministry. They are able to deploy their resources and substance to the glory of God in a large way.
They have the power to maintain stewarding priorities, and God also gives them a humble mind, so that
they do not use their wealth to buy influence, favours or reputation. ‘He that giveth,’ says the apostle,
must do so ‘with simplicity’.
A similar gift is a special ability to handle elevation in life. We must all resist
the temptations which come through success. But some people are especially strengthened to battle
against pride, flattery, authority, self-pampering and prosperity. These are the people who God will move
into positions of authority and privilege. They know how to contain themselves, and live with potentially
dangerous advantages. They have the capacity to cope, without being puffed up or becoming selfish.
Equally, there are those who have the ability to handle deprivation. The apostle
Paul had such a gift. He was a great genius of a man, yet he possessed this powerful gift to sustain
deprivation. Pioneer missionaries especially need such a gift.
Some have the gift of music. I will not go into this to any extent, but ungifted
believers envy those who are equipped with fine voices and perfect musical control. They are able to sing
so well, but sometimes they do not exercise their gift. We are all accountable for what we do with our
gifts and abilities.
There is also the gift of beauty. I am not referring to people who look beautiful,
but those who seem to know what is beautiful. They know instinctively what colour to paint things, or
how to arrange things. This gift has far larger uses also. Possessors have a capacity to inject into Christian
service, and into life in general, something rewarding to the human mind. They keep us off the rocks of
ugliness and offensiveness. In our work for the Lord, even the laying out, for example, of literature, or of
Sunday School exhibitions, needs those who can work their arts to achieve good results.
There are many gifts or propensities, and we have suggested that no one has many more or
less than a third of them. The Lord has made us dependent upon each other as a mutually interdependent
society. It is also worth reflecting that there may be gender evenness in the distribution of total numbers
of gifts. We must see the importance of our own gifts, and at the same time value the gifts of others.
We should always keep in mind that gifts are presents. They are not produced by our own
ingenuity. We are responsible for how we employ them, and we must improve them by use.
Pray daily for the use of whatever gifts you have. Remember above all, that they are for the
efficiency, enlargement and comfort of the Church of Jesus Christ.
It is a good thing to mark each decade of life with a review of what has been done with
God-given aptitudes. When you pass out of your teens, you may have deep regrets for having neglected
the exercise of your gifts. If you are in teenage you probably have greater opportunity to mix easily with
other people than you will ever have in the future. Relating to people is easier. Resistance to the message
of God may be less severe. You are interacting with people before hardening of the heart makes them
unapproachable. This is a precious time. You may one day say, ‘What did I do with those precious
years?’ Don’t stroll through these years squandering their special opportunities.
If you are in your twenties you have great energy, and the liberty to throw yourself into the
corporate work of Christ more than anyone else. In early twenties a spouse or children may not yet be part
of your life. What will you have to show for your twenties?
Perhaps you now have a family, and are in your thirties. You have acquired more experience
and new connections in your career, or through the home. In the church, you now have the maturity to
lead departments. Younger people respect you in a special way, because you are ahead of them, and yet
near to them. What are you doing with your thirties? Are all your powers given to the work of God?
If you are in your forties, you are in a golden time of life. You now combine in your
potential usefulness the best of everything. People respect you. Your word can count. Your example will
be followed. You are experienced and knowledgeable. You are in your early prime. In your fifties you
will have more experience, but right now you combine knowledge with energy. You have many of an
older person’s attributes, united with a younger person’s vitality. Will you one day look back in regret,
because this priceless decade has passed, and its years have been wasted?
If you are in your fifties, your children may have grown up, and certainly should not need
constant attention. This is very liberating. Now you have considerable experience, and being older, you
can counsel and help others without appearing patronising. You may have greater substance for
stewardship. Certainly, energy may begin to fade, and, for some, sicknesses be more frequent, but so
much can still be done. Do not let the time go by, so that one day you will be harassed by vain regrets.
Value your abilities and opportunities. Praise God that He equips all His people to serve.
Remain humble at all costs. Do not let the church of which you are a vital part limp along with your
contribution missing. Let every man and woman employ their precious gifts, all the way to glory.
Footnote [1] Ephesians 4.7
Footnote [2] Romans 12.6; 1 Corinthians 12.6
Footnote [3] 1 Peter 4.10
Footnote [4] 1Timothy 4.14
Footnote [5] Romans 12.8
Footnote [6] Ephesians 4.12-13
Footnote [7] Ephesians 4.14
Footnote [8] Ephesians 4.16
Footnote [9] Luke 10.2
THE LORD AS GIVER OF GIFTS
The giving of gifts is a chief delight of the Saviour. Paul quotes the psalmist saying,
‘When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men’ (Ephesians 4.8). This sixty-eighth psalm gives a picture of a conquering hero who gains people and wealth as booty, and then distributes it to his people. Paul shows that this predicts Jesus Christ, Who lavishly gives the victor’s spoils to believers. Having defeated sin and purchased redemption, He has the right to give His people whatever gifts He pleases. Isaiah also refers to this when he prophesies about Christ, saying, ‘He shall divide the spoil with the strong.’
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