Gift Inventory
I'm taking the second level Discipleship Training class at church--DT 200. It's been fun, partly because I so enjoyed DT 100, and it's the same group of people. You have to take these little classes in order, and we were the first DT 100 class offered, so we are all moving through together.
This past Monday, we took a Spiritual Gift Inventory . . . sort of like a personality quiz, developed to identify areas in which God may have given us special ability. Not like superpowers (though that would be nice) but those abilities and callings that the Bible suggests God gives to people for the edification of the church. The questions covered our own subjective perceptions as well as more objective measures (e.g., both "I greatly enjoy praying for others" and "I regularly spend more than 15 minutes each day praying for others").
I've taken these tests before, but I don't think I had taken one recently. The last time, I took it right after I had moved to a new state, and I think that state of transition skewed my answers a bit, so I was interested to see how this turned out. What's in my top ones was not nearly as interesting as what is at the bottom: service and mercy (among others).
I think this is pretty accurate. I sometimes get credit for being merciful and serving others, but it's really only people that I love. I like serving people, but I suspect it barely counts as service when it's your own dear ones. Doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible that "even the heathens do this"? Maybe one day, when God has done a lot of work in me, I'll have the true generosity of heart to love serving other people too.
This past Monday, we took a Spiritual Gift Inventory . . . sort of like a personality quiz, developed to identify areas in which God may have given us special ability. Not like superpowers (though that would be nice) but those abilities and callings that the Bible suggests God gives to people for the edification of the church. The questions covered our own subjective perceptions as well as more objective measures (e.g., both "I greatly enjoy praying for others" and "I regularly spend more than 15 minutes each day praying for others").
I've taken these tests before, but I don't think I had taken one recently. The last time, I took it right after I had moved to a new state, and I think that state of transition skewed my answers a bit, so I was interested to see how this turned out. What's in my top ones was not nearly as interesting as what is at the bottom: service and mercy (among others).
I think this is pretty accurate. I sometimes get credit for being merciful and serving others, but it's really only people that I love. I like serving people, but I suspect it barely counts as service when it's your own dear ones. Doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible that "even the heathens do this"? Maybe one day, when God has done a lot of work in me, I'll have the true generosity of heart to love serving other people too.
posted by Tara | 11:29 PM
4 Comments:
so what WERE your top ones?
I think I may be a Heathen...
So, this measured what your interests were, right? Not what you're good at? That's cool. I take issue with the ones that test 'natural' skills. It seems to run counter to how the Bible suggests that God works. Who gets glory if someone with great oratory powers gives an impassioned speech? He/she does. Who does if it's someone who stutters and blushes and humbles himself before God? He does. (in theory)
But it sounds like I'm talking about something a little different than this was.
Erin: wisdom, administration, and financial giving . . . apparently.
Sam: We'll talk about this later.
;)
Kate: It measures both, I think, with the idea that God's the source of our "natural" giftings as well as the more evidently "supernatural" interventions. But I think you're right--there's something special about trusting God to do something you can't do on your own.
Post a Comment
<< Home