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- The gifted teacher is passionate about study, understanding, and explaining. He is compelled to transfer truth to his students in a simple and memorable style. After a spirit-filled teacher has taught, people walk away being challenged and convinced in their minds and hearts of how and why they should become more Christ-like. People are appreciative of the teacher. They stand in awe of the God this teacher has just described. Others’ awe of God is the teacher’s ultimate compliment.
- “. . . if it is teaching, let him teach.” (Romans 12:7)
- Preparation and prayer are your greatest tools if you are gifted as a teacher. Immersing yourself in truth, struggling with truth, and living out truth in your own life are prerequisites to being effective. Knowing your audience is critical. Truth needs to be packaged differently for different people. The best teachers teach out of brokenness, from their own failures, and as a fellow learner. Satan trembles and God is glorified when this type of teacher teaches!
- Service is often the unseen gift. It operates behind the scenes, making sure everything is taken care of. If you are gifted with service, you are looking for a need to be met. No task is too menial, and no challenge is too big. While others may be tentative, you lead the way by taking the initiative. You are not afraid of failure because you will keep serving until the job gets done.
- “If it is serving, let him serve . . .” (Romans 12:7)
- If this is your gift, you have a few challenges to face. One challenge is to keep from over-committing. Relationships and/or your health suffer when you don’t make room for margin in your life, and the quality of your work may actually suffer. Another challenge is your need for affirmation. You need to remember Paul’s admonition, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men . . . .” (Colossians 3:23)
- Working to please God will protect you from disappointment. Any validation you receive from others will then be like “gravy.” My motivation, which I assume is also yours, is to one day hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
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Paul’s letter to the Romans offers some potential areas of giftedness. You may resonate with one or more of these traits. Prayerfully read through each one, and define how God has wired you…
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“. . . If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” (Romans 12:6)
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A prophet understands the desires of God’s heart. He communicates this truth with passion of conviction and compassion for the people. If you are a gifted prophet, you are not afraid to confront sin head-on, especially the sins of injustice and hypocrisy. You defend the rights of the unborn or any group of people who are oppressed or in bondage. Your boldness may increase around inauthentic authority since hypocrisy is the target of a prophet. You have the ability to discern the motivations of the heart and confront the speaker with riveting questions and logic.
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Most prophets are disliked, especially by those who are the object of their truth. However, after they have been proven right, they are admired by those who are teachable, and even their enemies come to respect them. Speak the truth in love if you are a prophet. If you are not a prophet but know one, listen and learn. You will be a better follower of Christ for doing so.
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