Every believer is given, by God, a spiritual gift. But what that spiritual gift is, and what you do with it seems to be a big question in many believers minds. So how do you know what your gift is? The word of God does not give a specific method to “figure out” your gifts. So let me ” remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,” 2 Timothy 1:6a and give a biblical framework to discover your gift.

First, ask yourself the question, “Do I desire to know or discover my spiritual gift?” 1 Corinthians 12:31,; 14:1,39 tells us, no, commands us, to desire spiritual gifts. To desire something is to be positively and intensely interested in something, to strive, to desire, to exert oneself earnestly, to be dedicated. Is it even on your radar to know how God has gifted you to serve Him and others? So, if you have no desire, ask God for desire. Pray to Him, who gives generously, to give you a desire for Him and the knowledge of your gifting.

Second, ask yourself, “What am I doing to fan into flames the spark that the Holy Spirit started?” Let me reiterate, that God distributes the gifts as He sees fit. His gifts are to bring glory to Himself. But, scripture indicates that there is a responsibility that you have in exercising and growing this gift. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul reminds Timothy to fan the flame of the gift. To fan the flame of a fire, it needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. The fuel is the filling of the holy Spirit. The more full you are, the more fuel you have. The oxygen is the Word of God. The more Word you meditate and apply, the hotter you will burn. And the heat is the energy you expend by practicing your spiritual gift.

With this “fire” triangle, you can begin the process to discover the gifting of God. Reread the last paragraph and ask yourself “How much love do I have for God? Do I care to know Him more through His word?” Second, ask “Does my life exhibit evidence of being filled with the Spirit? Ephesians 5:18 -21 says a spirit filled person addresses others with songs of joy, making melodies in their heart, always giving thanks, and submitting to the Lord and one another. Third, ask, “What am I intentionally doing to exercise the truths of God’s word in my life?”

That last question is the one I want to focus on. Just because God gives you a gift, doesn’t mean that it is at full capacity. (Remember the last paragraph and what it takes to make a fire burn). We must work out, literally exercise our spiritual life and gifts. I could be given the biggest piece of equipment as a gift, but if I am not trained or do not read the manual on how to run the equipment, it will stay in my garage. Our spiritual gifts are the same way. The problem is, none of us like looking like a fool that has no clue what to do. The same is said for practicing/exercising our spiritual gifts. We tend to stick to what WE can accomplish and do not want to do something that would require GOD to do it. “What if I mess up? What if I can’t do it?” Isn’t that the point of the spiritual gift. YOU CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT GOD! Be willing to do or try things you think you could never do. Then when you can do it, you will know that it was God doing the work. So get out there and begin the process to discover your spiritual gift.

There is no test that can take the place of experience and practice. When you take a test, you are thinking in human terms, but a spiritual gift is in God’s terms.” Greater is He that is in you… You can do ALL things though Christ who strengthens you.” There is no test that will tell you that. Only the almighty God would gift people who could do nothing on their own, to do things with God that only He could accomplish.