Motivational Gifts

Each of us has the responsibility to:

Discover our gift. Develop our gift. Exercise our gift.

Your motivational gift is what drives you. It is what causes you to do and think and be what God intends you to be. To discover your gift, simply ask God to reveal it to you in an unmistakable way.

There are some things that keep you from discovering your gift.
1. You have unresolved conflicts which are clouding the issue—unforgiveness, anger, pride, resentments. These are less obvious “Christian” sins.
2. Not currently involved in any kind of ministry. God reveals our gifts as we act not as we sit.
3. Trying to imitate someone else’s gift.
4. Failure to analyze what you do and why. Ask yourself the question: What is my motive/real reason for doing or saying what I did or said? This is the key to finding your spiritual motivational gift after you have asked God to reveal it to you.
5. You are confusing ministry with your gift. 1 Cor 12:4-

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP YOUR GIFT?

1. You must learn to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. This takes discipline and practice. This means you are willing to examine your life and cooperate with God to take care of anything that shouldn’t be there. You must admit dependence. We only get our significance from God…As Christians with the mind of Christ, this is who we are.

2. Learn the characteristics of your gift. Ask God to sharpen your focus and to increase your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s motivation of you. You will see results that will dazzle you! There will be a depth to your life that others will recognize but more importantly you will be so much more satisfied in your walk with the Lord. The more you develop your gift the more maturity and fruitfulness you will manifest and the more real joy will fill your heart.

REMEMBER…

If I don’t involve myself in other people’s lives, I won’t see my gift!

Here is an encouraging thought…God can express Himself through you using all the gifts because He equips you for the momentary need. Think about that statement and describe what it means to you.

God will use any means necessary to draw us to Himself. He will give me a booster shot of perception if that is what it takes to fill one of His children’s needs. Or a booster shot of any of the other gifts. All gifts are to give God glory and to motivate His children and to get His work done.

Now look up the following scriptures and identify what gift each scripture is describing.

I Corinthians 14:1 Prophecy or Perception 1Love should be your guide. Be eager to have the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophecy.

Galatians 5:13 Service 13My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love.

Colossians 3:16 Teaching 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Hebrews 3:13 Exhortation – Encouraging 13but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Luke 6:38 Giving 38Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

1 Timothy 3:4 Administration – Organization 4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

Colossians 3:12 Mercy – Compassion 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Because Jesus lives within us and we have the Mind of Christ, we all have the capacity to exercise all these gifts. At any given need of someone we come into contact with, God grants us a “booster shot” of a motivational gift that person needs. Or if a situation arises which results in an identified need but no one to fill that need, then God provides that gift to one of His children so the need can be filled. However, God has designed the Body of Christ and each member of the body to fill a specific need in the Body. He has done this so that we can build each other up, we can edify (teach/encourage) one another to reach our full potential and maturity in Christ. Others can point out our “blind spots” if we are willing to listen and learn.

FACT: ONLY 20% OF THE BODY FUNCTIONS AS IT SHOULD…THE OTHER 80% ARE SPECTATORS!
Are you a spectator or a minister? What’s the point of being a Christian if you are missing out on God’s plan and purpose??
Give some real thought to this next question and seriously answer below. You don’t have to share this in class. Are you a spectator or are you a minister?

We are to give ourselves away to others (without the constant thought of ME) Otherwise we are carnal and not in the will of God. Don’t waste your life!

Are you limiting God? Explain.



Are you resisting the “squeeze” of God? Explain.



(Remember that in squeezing you through circumstances, people, or finances, that God’s goal is to get His life “out” of you as an extension of His own life to others.)

In order to be what God wants you to be, you must be willing to let Him call the shots! That means He can “squeeze” whenever and however He chooses…because He is God and we are not.

What will you do with the Spiritual Gift God has given you?


There is a reason why I Corinthians 13 follows chapter 12. Look up chapter 13 and reread it again. What part of the expression of love speaks to you the most?


Why?


Now look at the last part of chapter 12. What does it say?


Do we do anything in this world without being motivated to do it? Certainly not. God designed us this way and therefore He has given us motivations each according to the gifts He has given us. It should be the utmost importance to us that we be good stewards of the gifts He has given us.

What motivates you to do whatever you do for Jesus?


Is your attitude right with God? (Heart attitude not outward attitude.)



Are you walking in the Spirit? Are you walking in the Flesh? Explain how you know.



Important point for any of the gifts you have: When you are exercising YOUR motivational gift, you will experience a minimum of weariness and a maximum of effectiveness.

Romans 12: 6-8
Different people do have different gifts…there is no such thing as vanilla Christians.

When you are exercising your primary gift:
1. You will find your greatest sense of contentment (Joy).
2. You will see why people misunderstand you and why you act the way you do.
3. You will see what it looks like when you are carnal AND when you are walking in the Spirit.

PERSPECTIVE…
The Americans and the Japanese decided to engage in a boat race. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. Afterward, the American team was discouraged by the loss. Morale sagged, Corporate management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found, so a consulting firm was hired to investigate the problem and recommended corrective action.
The Finding: The Japanese team had eight people rowing and one person steering; the American team had one person rowing and eight people steering. Too many people steering and not enough rowing
After a year of study and millions of dollars spent....
The managers new structure: Americans, reorganized and the managers challenged the Japanese again. Four steering managers, three area steering managers and a new performance review system for the person rowing the boat to provide work incentive.
The Outcome: The Japanese won by two miles, the Americans laid off the rower for poor performance and gave the managers a bonus for discovering the problem.

The moral here is there is only one “head” to the body of Christ and that is Jesus himself.  Continue Study...