5 ways to discover the 5 equipping gifts

/
Hands-up

This week I taught at CPx on discovering the 5 equipping gifts of Ephesians 4. Over the last year, I have been become greatly passionate about seieng people discover who they are in the body.  I personally believe that everyone operates out of at least one of the 5 gifts...pastor, prophet, evangelist, teacher, apostle---and when people get it, they fly to new levels in faith and function.

(I have written about the 5 equipping gifts here, though there are some updates I would make now.)

Then, this morning Floyd followed up today with something that I thought was profound. Many struggle to discover which of the 5 they are. Here are 5 ways to recognize who you are:

  1. Study.  Get to know Ephesians 4: 11-13. Study the scriptures in each place any of the five words/titles are used. Study the people with those gifts in the Bible. Read a book about the 5 fold gifts. 
  2. Anointing. Soveriegn Appointing. God has celarly given the gift to you and is always trying to let you know about it and see you live into it. Listen to Him. He wants you to get it because he gets most glory when you are fully operating as He made you to be!
  3. Confirmation. Listen when people tell you what they see in you. Ask people to share what they see. Others carry keys to God's heart for you. Let them speak to your heart and try to believe what you hear. It may be straight from God.
  4. Modeling. Watch when others operate in a way that stirs something in you. If you are prophetic, prophetic people will stir you!  If you are an evangelist, you may find yourself dreaming to be like Blly Graham. This is one way to know your gift. If it fires you up, it may be who you are. 
  5. Circumstances. Circumstances and experience will simply draw your equipping gift out.  Watch what flows out of you naturally. Pay attention to where you are flowing most freely--especially in difficult or emotional moments. 

In all of this, remember that you do not discover your gift as much by searching as you do by serving. Get on with serving the body of Christ and God will make things cleaer by the day.