Spiritual Gifts Assessment
Taking a spiritual gifts assessment assists Christians in understanding the specific areas of ministry for their talents. Biblical scholars across denominational lines appear to agree that all Christians have at least one God-given gift that is to be used in service to others and for His glory. Often, believers have difficulty identifying their own talents. Several churches and other Christian organizations have developed websites that offer a spiritual gifts survey that individuals can complete to discover their strengths. Four specific Biblical passages provide the foundation for teachings about spiritual gifts, namely Romans 12:1-12; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-15; and 1 Peter 4:7-14. The apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church that: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The apostle Peter wrote, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10). These verses suggest that God gives every Christian a specific gift of service to be used in ministering to others.
Some of the listed gifts are considered supernatural, such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, and miracles of healing. Churches differ in their beliefs on whether these manifestations occur today or if they were limited to the early church and ended soon after the apostolic age. This ongoing theological controversy is avoided when the assessment providers exclude questions about supernatural gifts in the questionnaires. Most assessments focus on identifying Christian qualities, such as faith, wisdom, or discernment, and an individual's personal strengths and talents that can be used in ministry, service, and other activities designed to glorify God. For example, skills in leadership, administration, or hospitality may be highlighted in the results. Most people know when they have a visible talent such as a good singing voice or the ability to play musical instruments. Even so, a spiritual gifts assessment may include questions to help identify this type of gift.
The assessments vary in the number and complexity of the questions and in their scoring methods. The questions are actually statements that test-takers answer either yes or no or on a scale, perhaps from zero to five, depending on the degree the statement reflects their current thoughts and activities. To gauge an individual's level of hospitality, for instance, a test may have a statement like this: I enjoy having people over to my house, even on short notice. The scoring mechanism may be a simple yes or no. But the better assessments provide a range so that tendencies emerge. For the hospitality statement with a zero to five scoring range, for example, a zero might mean "totally disagree" and a five would mean "totally agree." By answering multiple questions designed to determine both strengths and weaknesses of several different gifts, the final analysis provides relevant information on the areas most suited to the test-taker's interests and abilities.
Because a spiritual gifts survey is actually a self-analysis of an individual's strengths and interests, there are no right or wrong answers. The questions or statements should be answered as honestly as possible to get a helpful result. This is no time to feel guilty because an honest response might shock other people. It may be hard to check a low number on an evangelism question because Christians know how vital it is to share God's Word with others. On the flip side, neither is this the time for undue humility. A person with strong writing skills or obvious musical talent should not mistake objectivity with pride. It's just as important to take a high score for the statements that reflect a person's strengths as it is to accept a low score for weaknesses. Skewing the results out of a fear of pride or undue guilt only hinders the spiritual gifts assessment process.
Scoring mechanisms vary according to the design of the spiritual gifts survey. The test-taker may be given directions for scoring his or her own analysis after it is completed. The test may be assessed by an automated program after it is submitted and the results may either be available immediately or sent to the individual's email address. It's not unusual for the survey host to request such personal information as the individual's name and email address and to ask permission to add the person to the group's mailing list for newsletters or other information. Each person will need to decide whether the receiving the results is worth providing the requested information. The format of the results also differs between different groups that offer assessments. Some suggest ways the identified strengths and talents can be used in ministry. Others provide personalized reports about the most dominant gifts that emerge from the answers given on the survey.
Taking a spiritual gifts survey is only a single step on the path to Christian service and maturity. The results guide the individual to an understanding of both strengths and weaknesses. Taking two or more analyses can confirm specific talents, but may also prove confusing when one assessment shows, for instance, exhortation as a strength and another lists it as a weakness. Guidance from a person's trusted friends and mentors can provide clarity on such contradictions. Seeking God's will through reading His Word and in prayer also confirm the avenues that He has prepared for service. In fact, spending time with the Bible and in prayer may be the best spiritual gifts assessment of all.
Some of the listed gifts are considered supernatural, such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, and miracles of healing. Churches differ in their beliefs on whether these manifestations occur today or if they were limited to the early church and ended soon after the apostolic age. This ongoing theological controversy is avoided when the assessment providers exclude questions about supernatural gifts in the questionnaires. Most assessments focus on identifying Christian qualities, such as faith, wisdom, or discernment, and an individual's personal strengths and talents that can be used in ministry, service, and other activities designed to glorify God. For example, skills in leadership, administration, or hospitality may be highlighted in the results. Most people know when they have a visible talent such as a good singing voice or the ability to play musical instruments. Even so, a spiritual gifts assessment may include questions to help identify this type of gift.
The assessments vary in the number and complexity of the questions and in their scoring methods. The questions are actually statements that test-takers answer either yes or no or on a scale, perhaps from zero to five, depending on the degree the statement reflects their current thoughts and activities. To gauge an individual's level of hospitality, for instance, a test may have a statement like this: I enjoy having people over to my house, even on short notice. The scoring mechanism may be a simple yes or no. But the better assessments provide a range so that tendencies emerge. For the hospitality statement with a zero to five scoring range, for example, a zero might mean "totally disagree" and a five would mean "totally agree." By answering multiple questions designed to determine both strengths and weaknesses of several different gifts, the final analysis provides relevant information on the areas most suited to the test-taker's interests and abilities.
Because a spiritual gifts survey is actually a self-analysis of an individual's strengths and interests, there are no right or wrong answers. The questions or statements should be answered as honestly as possible to get a helpful result. This is no time to feel guilty because an honest response might shock other people. It may be hard to check a low number on an evangelism question because Christians know how vital it is to share God's Word with others. On the flip side, neither is this the time for undue humility. A person with strong writing skills or obvious musical talent should not mistake objectivity with pride. It's just as important to take a high score for the statements that reflect a person's strengths as it is to accept a low score for weaknesses. Skewing the results out of a fear of pride or undue guilt only hinders the spiritual gifts assessment process.
Scoring mechanisms vary according to the design of the spiritual gifts survey. The test-taker may be given directions for scoring his or her own analysis after it is completed. The test may be assessed by an automated program after it is submitted and the results may either be available immediately or sent to the individual's email address. It's not unusual for the survey host to request such personal information as the individual's name and email address and to ask permission to add the person to the group's mailing list for newsletters or other information. Each person will need to decide whether the receiving the results is worth providing the requested information. The format of the results also differs between different groups that offer assessments. Some suggest ways the identified strengths and talents can be used in ministry. Others provide personalized reports about the most dominant gifts that emerge from the answers given on the survey.
Taking a spiritual gifts survey is only a single step on the path to Christian service and maturity. The results guide the individual to an understanding of both strengths and weaknesses. Taking two or more analyses can confirm specific talents, but may also prove confusing when one assessment shows, for instance, exhortation as a strength and another lists it as a weakness. Guidance from a person's trusted friends and mentors can provide clarity on such contradictions. Seeking God's will through reading His Word and in prayer also confirm the avenues that He has prepared for service. In fact, spending time with the Bible and in prayer may be the best spiritual gifts assessment of all.
Spiritual Gifts Assessment
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