spiritual gifts

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Next week I will be leading a workshop on spiritual gifts during an annual gathering of Quakers.

I love discovering and rediscovering my gifts, what I'm good at, and what brings me joy and energy. But as I've been doing the prep work for this workshop my ego has been repeatedly reminded of this fact: "Spiritual gifts are not for us but for our service to others."

My dear friend Jonathan gave me an overview of the book Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts, which helps you discover what gifts you possess and how you put them into practice, but also asks what your deepest concern is and how your gifts can be applied toward that concern.

I wrote down in my journal the question: What is my deepest concern? And easily, as if guided by a Ouija board instead of my own hands, wrote: APATHY. 


I am deeply concerned that people don't care about one another, don't care about the church and the world, and don't care about God. I'm equally concerned about people who believe so passionately in their way of doing or being or believing, that they can't listen to or love anyone who believes differently.

So as I examine, discover, and rediscover those gifts that God has imparted to me -- commitment, compassion, a willingness to listen and share, a desire to learn, the ability to energize and engage -- I can see how those gifts make me the perfect person to go to war against the apathy I see in the world.   

EMBRACE SPIRITUAL GIFTS. 

What are your spiritual gifts? What is your deepest concern? As it says in 1 Peter 4:10, "Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received."


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