1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.
I have led retreats on discerning spiritual gifts. They were the usual exploration: We take a gifts assessment, add up our numbers, then read what someone wrote about what our gifts mean. I don’t lead these types of workshops anymore. They are of use, but I realized they begin with the premise that our spiritual gifts were somehow hidden from us, and only a seventy-five-question test and a treasure map could reveal them to us.
Instead I believe our gifts are so obvious to us that we fail to see them as spiritual gifts. We live with our gifts day in and day out; they are as natural to us as breathing. We often don’t see them as gifts because they are such an innate part of who we are.
Others likely see many loving gifts reflected from your life onto their own. Think about the ways you have been a loving presence in the lives of those you love. These natural, simple ways, comfortable to our souls, are often the gifts God uses to care for the world.
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