Do you know what your spiritual gift or gifts are?  The topic of spiritual gifts has always been interesting to me.  These gifts are Spirit-enabled talents or abilities that Christians have for serving others, usually the church.  While the apostle Paul wrote multiple lists of these gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11 for example), all the lists are different which indicates to me that none of these lists is complete.  Therefore, there are spiritual gifts Christians have that are not listed by Paul.  This means that if your talents or abilities aren’t in the lists it doesn’t mean you don’t have a spiritual gift.

In Acts 9, there’s a very interesting example of what I think is a spiritual gift even though it isn’t called that there.  In the apostle Peter’s travels, he came to Joppa, and “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.”[1]  She had become ill and died, but in God’s power she was raised from the dead by Peter.  Before that, while Peter was on the way there, Luke, the author of Acts, notes:

“So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.” – Acts 9:39

Tabitha/Dorcas was known among the Christians as one who “was full of good works and acts of charity” and had made many “tunics and other garments” for others.  She was clearly skilled at making clothes and she used this skill in the service of the church.  Gifts like these may be included when Paul wrote in Romans 12:7 that we can have gifts of “service.”  What kind of service?  He doesn’t say, but it can probably take many, many forms, even including making clothes for others.

I’ve met and known people who have an uncanny ability that defies explanation, or an activity they do tirelessly that helps others and brings them joy.  In many cases, these abilities aren’t in Paul’s lists but provide a great service for the church.  I know someone whose gift seems to be finding things people have that they don’t want or need and getting them to someone who needs that exact thing.  It happens with such regularity that it doesn’t make sense if it’s just a “natural” ability.

God isn’t limited to any lists, and He can use whatever we have, because whatever we have we got from Him.  Paul wrote several epistles and founded churches, and Peter brought someone back from the dead, but The Life Application Study Bible notes on Acts 9:39: “God uses great preachers like Peter and Paul, but he also uses those who have gifts of kindness like Tabitha. Rather than wishing you had other gifts, make good use of the gifts God has given you.”

If your gifts are obvious, then thank God, but if not, don’t be discouraged.  God can use whatever we have if we offer it to Him, and He can bless it with the power of His Spirit if He chooses.  Even if it seems all you have is “five loaves and two fish”[2]

Offer whatever you have to Him and to the church and see what happens.

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[1] Acts 9:36
[2] Luke 9:13