Spiritual Gifts Test

Tonight at small group, we took a test to see what our spiritual gifts are. We were made aware that tests like this do contain flaws, but we thought it would be a decent indicator nonetheless. Here were my top three:

1) Music (this includes dance, art, etc.)
2) Leadership
3) Encouragement*
3) Writing*
*As you may have gathered, I had a tie for number three.

Music Dance: The fact that this was my highest scoring spiritual gift definitely surprised me a little, in large part because dancing is not as much a part of my life as it used to be. Two years ago, this would have made perfect sense to me. I love opportunities to incorporate dance into ministry, and I used to be told on a regular basis that the Lord's joy within me was evident when I danced. Unfortunately, there as many opportunities for partake in that here at school. But I suppose I should bear in mind that God's gift are not confined to geographic locations.... God still gifted me with the ability to dance, and therefore I am still very capable of ministering to others through dance. He hasn't retracted His gift, I just need to find a way to utilize it in any and every situation I'm given :)

Leadership: Okay, now this one was more of a shock, I think. Even though I have been put in leadership roles and have (for the most part) been able to thrive, I never considered that it may be a gift from God. Truth be told, I just have never labeled myself as a "leader." (This is partially because I have this subconscious insecurity that, by calling myself a leader, others will perceive it as me deeming myself superior to them.) After some careful pondering, though, I think that maybe I can see where this has been present in my life. I enjoy opportunities to lead others spiritually, whether that be through prayer, Bible studies, etc. I like sharing the new and exciting things that I've learned, and I constantly strive to bring those who have strayed back to God when they need Him the most. And how could I ever overlook my passion for leading my beloved youth! That brings me some of my greatest joy! (Side-note: When I told my friend Lauren that having this on my list surprised me, her response was, "... I'm not." Confirmation? Maybe!)

Encouragement: Well, this did not catch me off guard. And I do not say that to sound cocky, but some of you may recall my post from December regarding spiritual gifts. My dear friend Elysia came up to me and told me that I had the gift of comfort and encouragement, and it meant so much to me! Having this in my top three still does mean a lot to me! I always try to uplift others and help provide them with peace of mind, body, heart, and spirit. I make it known that I will support them in any endeavor they choose to pursue, and I do so with all of my love! I really hope that I actually do encourage others, because I know how amazing it feels to be encourage by my loves, and I want so badly to do the same for others!

Writing: Well loves, the one thing I can even being to gather from this is that blogging must be a gift that the Spirit has blessed me with! I know that not all of my posts are relevant outside of my close network of friends (or maybe even myself), but perhaps my posts about God, scripture, Christianity, etc. really do make a difference to some people... Oh, that would make me so elated! I'm not sure if that's even the case or not, but maybe!

Again, I know these sorts of tests are flawed, and some of you may be reading this post right now and wondering why on earth I looked so much into this. Sometimes, though, when you aren't sure of what spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon you, it helps to have some sort of reference point. I don't know if dance really is my primary spiritual gift, or if I really have exemplified leadership in great capacity. Maybe I'm not always the most encouraging person, and maybe my writing is sub par at best; but I am choosing to explore the possibilities of these partially unwrapped gifts. God wants me to open them, so they are more than worth looking in to!


Just another exciting note from today: I got called out and complimented for doing really well in my modern class today! Julia asked me and another girl to model a part of our combination for everyone to observe, and the other person is the girl I consider to be the best in the class! (Truth: I watch her every time she does that combination. I can't help it!) Then, later on, Julia came up to me and told me how much she loved how I was taking risks in the beginning of the combination, and that she loved the way it looked! I was so humbled... I must have said "thank you" at least six times. Guys, I'm still a decent dancer?! I'm doing well enough to be recognized by my professor?! I wish I could begin to describe to you how touched I was, but I think I would fail. It just felt amazing.

Goodnight my darlings :)