Gifted: Understanding Your Motivational Gifts
God has equipped and empowered each one of us in a unique way to walk out the specific calling that He has for our lives. Over four Sundays, we will be looking at the seven different types of motivational gifts, delving into how to identify the ones that God has put within us, and discovering how we can be most effective in using the gifts that God has given us. Gifted: Understanding your motivational gifts starts Sunday 4th August for both Pakuranga and Pukekohe churches.
Take A Gift Test
Wondering what your motivational gifts are? You can take this free online test to help you identify the mix that God has given you.
NB: This is a high-level, free test – so it’s not going to be totally accurate but can give you a reasonably indication!
Find Out More About Your Motivational Gift
Browse the sections below to find out more information and links to resources to help you understand your gift or someone else’s gift better!
Gift Of Prophecy / Discernment
The motivational gift of prophecy is not so much what we would consider ‘prophetic’ (in terms of speaking to people on behalf of God regarding their future etc). It’s probably better described as a gift of discernment or insight.
Positive Characteristics
- Sees everything as black or white
- Excellent at identifying root issues and underlying problems
- High integrity and personal standards – despises hypocrisy or insincerity
- Very committed to justice and wrongs being made right
Negative Characteristics
- Can be overly critical of themselves and others and judgemental
- Can be harsh
- Can fail to recognise situations where things may be a bit ‘grey’
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- John the Baptist
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-insight-prophecy/
Gift Of Serving
Those with a motivational gift of serving can clearly see the needs of others – especially physical needs – and they have a strong desire to help meet those needs. They’re hard workers, and willing to invest a lot of their own time and energy to help others.
Positive Characteristics
- Quick to see practical needs that others have and to offer to help
- Enjoy practical and manual tasks and jobs
- Tend to do much more than what has been asked
- Have a high energy level and work hard
Negative Characteristics
- Have a hard time saying ‘no’ to people and situations
- Prefer to do a job rather than delegate which can sometimes lead them to overcomitting
- Has difficulty being served by others
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- Martha
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-service/
Gift Of Teaching
People with a motivational gift of teaching love truth and are passionate about learning and understanding. They also love to communicate truth to others so that they have that ‘aha’ moment where they ‘get it’. They tend to be highly disciplined and focussed people who notice details and want to ensure that they get things right.
Positive Characteristics
- Good at laying out information in a logical and orderly way
- Tend to be disciplined and focussed
- Love study, research and really understanding a topic
- Work hard to check and validate facts and ensure that their viewpoint is based on actual truth
Negative Characteristics
- Can sometimes be more committed to an idealistic truth than something that is actually practical
- Can be slow to accept another viewpoint that might contradict what they have studied
- Can be prone to legalism or dogmatism.
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- Apollos
- Ezra
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-teaching/
Gift Of Encouragement / Exhortation
Encouragers are exactly what their title says – they love to encourage people – to see them built up and excited about their life, their future and their faith. Encouragers are particularly interested in personal growth, both for themselves and for others – and they are excellent at helping people get ‘unstuck’ and move forward in life.
Positive Characteristics
- Have a natural ability to see potential in everyone
- Excellent at finding practical next steps for people to move forward
- Often are excellent communicators with great relational and emotional IQ
- Usually very positive and well-liked by others
Negative Characteristics
- Can be ‘fast and loose’ – preferring practical steps and forward movement over time spent fully understanding people, situations and concepts
- Can overlook vitally important details as they push for progress
- Can be more of a talker than a doer
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- Barnabas
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-exhortation/
Gift Of Giving
Givers love to help people by providing resources and finances. They are diligent and excellent with their own finances and will often tend to live frugally so that they can be a blessing to others. They are incredibly resourceful and have a knack for finding services or pathways that can be helpful not just for themselves but for others.
Positive Characteristics
- Excellent at blessing others financially or with other resources
- Wants their giving to be appropriate and as long-lasting as possible – they have an eye for quality
- Tend to be very good with finances and making the most of what they have
- Informed, shrewd and wise in their approach and in their giving
Negative Characteristics
- Can sometimes want to control how their giving is used by others
- Can become materialistic and self-gratifying if they’re not being active in blessing others
- Can sometimes be a bit slow in obedience to God’s prompting to give
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- Abraham
- Jesse
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-contributing/
Gift Of Leadership / Administration
People with a gift of leadership or administration are organisers who love to bring order and peace to situations of chaos. They have a natural ability to take large projects and break them down into small parts, and then delegate them to those who are best suited to succeed. They are decisive, goal-focussed and love systems and frameworks that work well and achieve results.
Positive Characteristics
- High capacity, extremely efficient and motivated in life
- Very good at expressing ideas and vision in a way that people can catch it
- Loves to take on a challenge and do the impossible
- Good at delegating and building teams
Negative Characteristics
- Can tend to be more goal-focussed than people focussed
- Can sometimes use people to achieve their own goals
- Can be driven and prone to workaholism
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- Joseph
- Nehemiah
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-facilitating-leadership/
Gift Of Mercy / Compassion
Those who have a motivational gift of mercy have a high sensitivity to the emotional needs of others. They are naturally drawn to people experiencing pain and suffering, and possess an incredible ability to listen and empathise. They are attentive to the detail of what people say and do, and are aware of the interactions and effects that plans and actions can have on others. They love to be ‘present’ in times of distress or anguish, and walk the journey with people.
Positive Characteristics
- High capacity to show and sense genuine love
- Great ability to see the good in people
- Highly empathetic and present with those who are suffering or in pain
- Generally careful and considered with their words and actions
Negative Characteristics
- Can find themselves easily hurt by others
- Can place high demands on family and friends for reciprocal ‘presence’
- Can be prone to ‘mollycottle’ people who may be needing to experience consequences to positively change their behaviour
Biblical Characters with this motivational gift
- The innkeeper in the story of the Good Samaritan
Some helpful links:
https://www.charleslstanley.com/the-motivational-gift-of-mercy/