A spiritual gift isn’t a natural ability with which you’re born. It’s
not an office, position or job you hold.
Spiritual gifts are abilities that allow you to perform specific tasks beyond
the realm of human skill. They’re given to believers in Jesus Christ only,
and they’re given as gifts — not as a result of your maturity
level, prayer or education.
Whether all spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible are still available today
is a controversial issue. But it’s generally agreed that every Christian
has at least one spiritual gift. It’s up to your teen to discover, develop
and exercise his or hers. You can help.
Tell your teen that understanding one’s spiritual gifting has several
phases. He can begin by praying to understand the gift(s) the Holy Spirit has
already placed inside him. Explain that you don’t ask for a gift,
you ask to be made aware of it.
Next, encourage your teen to learn by doing. Help her get involved in situations
where she has to depend on God’s Spirit to get something done. Let her
work on projects inside and outside your church, getting ongoing, honest feedback
from spiritually mature friends and leaders. Suggest that she ask your youth
pastor, a coach or a teacher who knows her well what gifts that person sees
in her.
There’s no “complete” list of spiritual gifts, but partial
lists are found six times in the New Testament. You may want to read these passages
with your teen:
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Romans 12:6-8
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1 Corinthians 12:6-10
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1 Corinthians 12:28
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1 Corinthians 12:29-30
-
Ephesians 4:11
-
1 Peter 4:11
This discovery process offers two benefits for both you and your teen. First,
it’s one of the greatest “treasure hunts” you could ever embark
upon. Second, it lets you steer your teen toward experiences that reveal and
cultivate gifts that can be used for a lifetime.
