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 In the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, inevitably questions concerning the gifts of the Spirit arise.  What do you think of when you hear the term charismatic?  Do you think of the miraculous?  The bizarre?  Emotionalism? Do you think that’s for someone else?  For many of us, when we think of the gifts of the Spirit we think almost exclusively about the miraculous gifts.  But what does the term Charismata truly mean?  It is helpful to know the words that are used and what they mean.  There are two words used for grace – charis and charisma, and one word for gift – charismata.  This tells us that spiritual gifts are gifts of grace.  Gifts (charismata) are endowments of grace (charis).  Here are a few scriptures to illustrate this. “Having gifts (charismata) that differ according to the measure of grace (charis) given to us, let us use them.  (Romans 12:6).  “As each has received a gift (charisma), employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s grace (charis).  I Peter 4:10.    These verses raise a few questions for us.  First, what is a spiritual gift?  A spiritual gift is any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and is used in the ministry for, or to God’s people.  This definition helps us to see that what makes a gift spiritual is the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the recipient of the gift. A spiritual gift then may be a natural talent empowered by the Spirit or a super-natural ability God grants for a particular need.  The critical thing is being under the guidance and enablement of the Spirit for a particular need and a recognition that the source is always the Lord himself not us. With that in mind we should also ask why does God give spiritual gifts?  The scriptures clearly tell us that God has given gifts for the good of his people, for their being built up into the faith, the strengthening of their walk, the meeting of needs where deficits exist, and for the glory of Jesus (Eph 4:12-16).  God blesses his people with gifts so that we can serve and minister the life and presence of Jesus into the lives of God’s people and so that we ourselves can experience Jesus through others.  Paul teaches us this when he says, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men.”  (Eph 4:7).  If you are a believer, you have a gift and the ability under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit to bless others with that gift.  Are you using your gift?  This raises a third issue, the problem with gifts.  Gifts are a great source of blessing but also a potential for great sin.  The reason this is so is that our sinful nature can easily turn what God has meant for the good of others into a way to magnify ourselves.   Unfortunately, the gifts have often been used for the sins of envy and vanity.  We can envy others by comparing ourselves with them and their “gifting” wishing we had what they have.  At the same time, we can take pride in our “ability” by thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought.  Not only are these temptations present but other pitfalls exist as well like, hiding our gift(s) and allowing it to lie unused, or the tendency to mistake gifts with spiritual maturity.  All of these grieve the Spirit of God.  How do we combat the potholes that surround the use of spiritual gifts?  May I suggest several things.  First, there’s a reason why the are called “gifts.”  We must remember that all of us are given gifts.  Paul reminds, “What do you have that you haven’t been given?” (I Cor 4:7).  Everything we have is a gift, so who are we to act as if we have come by something on our own.  Second, we must remember that every child of God has been given gifts and therefore none of us is complete without the others.  We need what others have to give.  Third, we must remember that gifts are given and empowered by the Spirit of God.  Just as Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.”  Today would you thank God that in His grace he has given you a gift(s) for the good of your brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Just think, he calls and equips you to bring the ministry of Jesus to them!  Lastly would you pray that God fill you with his grace so that you might serve in the strength that God supplies so that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ (I Peter 4:11).  Give him the glory!