With the Spiritual Gift of Administration:

to steer the body toward the accomplishment of God-given goals and directives by planning, organizing, and supervising others

Servant #1:  This person came alongside of his pastor who was not administratively inclined in a way that made the pastor look more efficient.  He coordinated tasks behind-the-scenes, reminding the pastor of the various details that needed attention.  He was not on staff, nor had any kind of title for what he did.

Servant #2:  This person took on a volunteer position as the Director of VBS in her church.  She planned, recruited, and coordinated all the various facets of Vacation Bible School.  During VBS you wouldn’t have even known she was at the helm as she continued to work behind-the-scenes making sure everything went smoothly … and it did.

Servant #3:  This person, me, worked full-time in a church as a Director of Christian Education. Prior to working for the church I revamped their children’s ministry, investing many hours into planning strategies to implement a more discipleship-oriented ministry.  I was not their Children’s Director, simply someone who volunteered time to get it off the ground and delegated responsibilities to others.  Now, as Director of Ministry Tools Resource Center, I continue to find myself planning, organizing, and coordinating efforts to efficiently use the resources and means God has given the ministry to help equip others.

All of these servants have the spiritual gift of administration but they are not all in leadership “positions” or roles.  They would not all be labeled as administrators but nonetheless do administrative work.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s be careful we do not pigeon-hole the use of spiritual gifts into positions.  A spiritual gift can be used in a paid or volunteer position, full or part-time.  A spiritual gift can be used by someone with or without a title, in a recognized ministry position or not.

With the Spiritual Gift of Giving:

to share what material resources you have with liberality and cheerfulness without thought of return

Servant #1:  This person held a high paying, executive job in a major corporation.  When I first began Ministry Tools Resource Center, stepping out in faith with little financial resources, I received several very large gifts from this person at critical junctions.  He tried to give anonymously but I did find out who it was and was able to thank him.  What a blessing!

Servant #2:  This person was retired and on a limited income.  Regardless, she repeatedly purchased extra food at the grocery store and gave me her surplus knowing that I too was on a limited income because of being in ministry.  Consequently, money that would have been spent on groceries could go toward other bills.  What a blessing!

Both of these servants had the spiritual gift of giving.  One was able to give big and the other in less substantial ways.  The end result, however, was the same with both.  I was blessed!  I experienced God’s faithfulness to me through both of these servants, confirming His direction in my life to do this ministry.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s not look at what we have, or don’t have, and say God can’t use us.  The amount is not the issue but rather being used by God to bring about eternal good.  Sometimes He will use the means of those who are rich and sometimes He will use the means of those who are poor.  If He is the one using what is in our hands, it is significant.

With the Spiritual Gift of Exhortation: 

to come along side of someone with words of encouragement, comfort, consolation, and counsel to help them be all God wants them to be

Servant #1:  This person enjoys counseling others to reach their potential in Christ, to make decisions that line up with His Word, and to trust Him with their past, present, and future.  This servant of God prays with people as they seek to process life in healthier ways.

Servant #2:  This person loves to teach children and has done so for many years.  She was quite surprised, though, to recently find out she did not have the gift of teaching but rather the spiritual gift of exhortation.  After explaining the difference between teaching and exhortation and how teaching can be a platform for using the gift of exhortation, she could see that indeed this was her gifting.

Servant #3:  This person makes up a bag of encouraging Bible verses for people going on short term mission trips to take with them and read one each day.  People return commenting how the verses were just what they needed for each day.

All of these servants have the spiritual gift of exhortation but use it in different ways. 

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s be careful we do not limit how God might want to use us by too narrowly defining how a spiritual gift can be exercised.