THE MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS  

For my eBook "Painting the Picture" on discovering your spiritual gifts click HERE or on the book picture to the left. This book is part 2 of my Big Picture Trilogy. This book deals extensively with the three categories of spiritual gifts and finding your place in using them.
The Motivational Gifts are supernatural abilities God endows us with at new birth (on becoming a Christian). They are given by Father God for the work of the ministry. All of us will have at least one of these gifts that must be empowered by the Manifestation Gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 which are given at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Manifestation gifts will be dealt with separately. Some of the motivational gifts may develop into one of the Fivefold ministries (Teaching may develop into the office of Teacher, Prophecy may develop into the office of a Prophet and a combination of others into Apostle, Pastor or Evangelist) but that is outside the scope of this teaching.
I believe firmly in Spirit Baptism being a second blessing after salvation. The Spirit lives in us at new birth but we need to live in the Spirit through Spirit Baptism. The Holy Spirit's main role is to shine the spotlight on Jesus and glorify Him and this should be the case in his empowering of us for service so we can use the supernatural gifts for His glory, to turn people to Him. For my reasoning about this see my review of "Keep in Step with the Spirit" by J.I. Packer (click on the book image) where I critique the book and counter claim that the Charismatic experience is not important.
For more teaching on the Spiritual Gifts in the context of our calling go to my online BIG PICTURE teaching.

More of my online and downloadable teachings on the Spiritual Gifts

Right-click HERE and choose "save target as.." for my extra booklet to assess the gifts you have (.pdf) (222kb) - this is a more in depth assessment than those below and teaches more on the different types of gifts.

Click HERE for my short worksheet on Spiritual Gifts.

Click HERE for my PowerPoint teaching on Prophecy or HERE for the pdf version..

 Rev.Tim has used this material in Youth camps and Bible School teaching.

Click HERE for my full book on the Spiritual Gifts called "Painting the Picture"

Romans 12:6:8
6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness
  

For teaching on the manifestational gifts please click HERE.

 

 INVENTORY - Click here to take a spiritual gifts assessment

Then you can look below for more details (use back button to come here after taking assessment).

 

Motivational Gifts

Motivated

 Each gifting. Each motivation

Positive

Negative

1. The Prophet

Perceiver

 

 

Say what they think. Declare the truth. Right or wrong. Black or white. Quality control.

 See right to the heart of a issue. They are motivated to reveal what is true; They are concerned with revealing the other persons motives; They have a natural "discernment"

It is hard to keep silence when they feel truth is being twisted or hidden or offended.
They usually lack tact
They need to learn to speak the truth in love
They need to know "when" to speak. Proper channels of "who" to speak to

2. The Minister

Servant

 

 

 

Meet the physical needs of others
Helps ministries, ushers, feed the hungry, set up the stage. They have to DO something to help

Can see what needs to be done.

Their motives are often misunderstood
Trying to "be seen" or "showing off" Weakness/easily offended. If you don't show them appreciation. Take care for others. They look down their noses at people who don't see the physical needs. They look down their noses at people who don't see the physical need
s

3. The Teacher

Research the facts, the history, new ideas, details, Impart instruction, communicate knowledge

Is motivated to validate truth, wants to know "why" "how" "when" "where" - facts details, put the details in order

They can be really boring! They have to tell you "why" they are qualified to do what they do, place a lot of importance on "degrees" or "academics". If they don't feel you are "qualified" they won't listen to you. Much detail, more info than you could ever use, great difficulty communicating the practical use of their knowledge
easily offended & critical

4. The Exhorter

Take care of the spiritual needs of others. Stimulate, build up / edify. Head up the Pep rally
"You're going to make it!"

Is motivated to be on top of any situation. Not easily discouraged

They often won't let you grieve, often lack empathy, everything is mind over matter, decision; can run over or ignore the work of the Holy Spirit. They skip "process"
Easily offended. If you don't do what they counsel.

5. The Giver

Gifted to make money, money is their friend, Love to give money, it excites them, They may not even have a lot of money, give & careful what they have

The Giver is motivated to make money & give money.

The motivation to make money & handle money properly opens a door for hording and stinginess, Classic example: SCROOGE, or they can give everything away and not take care of themselves, The giver is offended: if you don't listen to their financial advice, debt offends them, lack of financial planning.

6. The Leader

Administration

They can see the bigger picture in a situation, delegate quickly. If there is a vacuum of leadership, they will "take over"

The Administrator is great at making an almost instant evaluation of a problem and assign steps of action to solve the problem. Delegate people to handle it, fully capable of making adjustments as they go

The Administrator can manipulate, control, or even dominate others, subconsciously; They don't verbalize their appreciation. "Expect you to do your job" We have to serve one another, submit to one another; won't listen to your input; won't let you finish your point, They "think" they already know what you're going to say; jump to conclusions; constantly changing their minds, extremely impatient; Offended: If you don't obey them. if you question their command, you better jump, and ask how high as your going up, they can't stand turtles.

7. Mercy

They are focused on the emotional needs of others, full of compassion, love, mercy, very forgiving; can't we all just get along?

Very compassionate, empathetic, loyal, forgiving.

Totally blind to the faults of the person they are working with; Offended: if you hurt somebody's feelings; they will take up other people's offenses; no motivational gift is better than the other one; Many parts, one body; all are necessary! Don't spend a lot of time analyzing yourself or others; Learn to recognize the gifts and capitalize on them.

The Motivational Gifts are divided into DOING and SPEAKING ministries.

Speaking: Prophecy, Teaching, Exhortation, Leading/Admin

Doing : Serving/Helps, Giving, Showing Mercy/Hospitality/Healings

Doing Ministry motto: 1 John 3:18

Speaking Ministry Motto: 1 Thess 1:5

 

(a) The DOING Ministries (1 Peter 4:11b “with the ability that God supplies")

Preach the Gospel every day and, if needed, use words!

 1 John 3:18

-          Start With your GENERAL MINISTRY:

-          (1) Ministry to the Lord (Romans 1:1; 12:1-3)

-          (2) A Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-20)

-          (3) A Ministry to the Saints (1 Cor 16:15)

-          Very difficult to discover ministry gifts if person is not ministering!!!! Recognition comes out of observation.

  Ministry is God-Centered and People Focused (Matt 9:35-38)

A.       Serving/ Helps (Acts 6:1-6): Motivation of demonstrating love by meeting practical needs.

 

Example: Timothy

 

            Positives

 

1.      An ability to see practical needs and a desire to meet them (Phil 2:19-20)

2.      A joy in serving when it frees others to do more important things (Phil 2:22)

3.      A willingness to sacrifice time & resources to serve others (Rom 12:1-3)

4.      A special enjoyment in providing for physical needs and comforts (can remember likes and dislikes) (2 Tim 4:13)

5.     A strong desire to be with others, providing more serving opportunities (Acts 16:2,17:14; 18:5;19:22)

 

Negatives

 

6.   Neglecting home responsibilities to help others.

7.   Accepting too many jobs at one time (cannot say no)

8.   Wearing themselves out physically.

9.    Being too persistent in giving unrequested help to others.

10.  Going around proper authorities to get job done.

11.  Interfering with God's discipline by premature help.

12.  Excluding others from helping on a job (difficult to delegate)

13.  Being hurt by ungratefulness of those helped.

14.  Getting sidetracked while working on an assignment.

  B. Giving : Motivation to entrust personal assets to others for the furtherance of the ministry.

Example: Matthew

 

          Positives

 

1.       A keen ability to discern wise investments in order to have more money available to give away (Matt 16:19-20)

2.       A desire to give quietly without public notice (Matt 6:1-4)

3.       A desire to give gifts which are of high quality (Matt 2:11)

4.      An ability to see financial needs which others tend to overlook (Matt 15:3-7)

5.       A desire to use giving as a way to motivate others to give (Luke 5:29)

 

Negatives

 

6.   Giving too sparingly to own family.

7.   Causing family to resent those to whom gifts are given.

8.   Listening to unscriptural counsel on money management.

9.    Putting pressure on people who have less to give.

10.  Failing to discern God's promptings for giving.

11.  Judging those who misuse funds rather than aiding them.

12.  Controlling people or ministries by giving.

13.  Corrupting people by giving too much.

14.   Investing in projects that do not benefit people's lives.

 

  B.      Mercy: Motivation to identify and comfort those who are in distress.

   

Example: John

 

                Positives

 

1.     Ability to sense and express genuine love (1 John 4:8)

2.      A need for deep friendships in which there is mutual commitment (John 13:23)

3.      A greater concern over mental joy or distress than physical concerns (1 Jn 3:17)

4.      A tendency to attract people who are having mental and emotional distress.

5.      A desire to remove the causes of hurts rather than to look for benefits from them.

               

                 Negatives

 

1.       Failing to be firm and decisive when necessary.

2.       A tendency to react harshly when intimate friends are rejected (Luke 9:53-54)

3.       A greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts from the lack of love (can take up offenses for hurts of others).

4.       Basing decisions on emotions rather than on reason.

5.       Promoting improper affections from the opposite sex.

6.       Cutting off fellowship with those who are insensitive to others.

7.       Reacting to God's purpose in allowing people to suffer.

8.       Sympathizing with those violating God's standards.

9.       Establishing possessive relationships with others.

 

(b) The SPEAKING Ministries

 

Text: If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.¯ 1 Peter 4:11a(NKJV)

From Romans 12:6-8 we see the Speaking Gifts are Prophecy, Teaching, Exhortation, and Leadership/Administration

Speaking ministry in: Jesus: Luke 4:2; John 3:34

                                Believers: Acts 2:14; 4:31; 5:20

Teaching and Prophecy were covered under 5-Fold ministries. Let's look at other 2.

 

(1) Gift of Exhortation: The motivation to stimulate the faith of others. To call to the side to urge one to pursue a course of conduct. Personal counseling to encourage spiritual growth.

E.g. Barnabas (Acts 4:36; 9:27; 11:24; 13:2,14; 15:36-41)

 

       Positives

 

1.       A motivation to urge people to their full spiritual maturity in Christ.

2.       An ability to discern where a person is in spiritual growth and to speak on that level.

3.       A desire to give precise: steps of action in urging people toward spiritual maturity.

4.       A drive to explain truth with logical reasoning, in order to make it accepted.

5.       An ability to visualize spiritual achievement for people and to use this to motivate them to action.

6.       A desire for face-to-face discussion in order to determine and insure a positive response.

7.       An ability to identify with people of different types and backgrounds in order to gain a wider hearing.

8.       A motivation to bring harmony between diverse groups of Christians, and an awareness that harmony is basic to spiritual maturity.

9.       An ability to welcome personal tribulation as a chief motivator of spiritual growth

 

Negatives

 

1.       Raising the expectations of others prematurely.

2.       Taking family time to counsel others.

3.       Treating family and friends as Projects¯ rather than people.

4.       Sharing private illustrations without permission.

5.       Jumping into new projects without finishing existing ones.

6.       Encouraging others to depend on them rather than God.

7.       Trusting visible results rather than true change of heart.

8.       Neglecting proper emphasis on basic Bible doctrine.

9.       Giving counsel before discerning the type of problem or person.

(2) Gift of Leadership/Administration :  The motivation to coordinate the activities of others for the achievement of common goals. To preside over. To lead. To stand before. To distinguish major objectives and help those around him to visualize them.

E.g. Nehemiah

 

    Positives

 

1.       An ability to visualize the final result of a major undertaking (Neh 1:2-3; 2:5)

2.       An ability to break down major goals into smaller, achievable tasks (Neh 3)

3.       An ability to know what resources are available and needed to reach a goal (Neh 2:6-8)

4.       A tendency to remove himself from distracting details in order to focus on the ultimate goal (Neh 5:1-13).

5.       A willingness to endure reaction from insiders and outsiders in order to reach an ultimate goal (Neh 4:8-18)

6.       A need for loyalty and confidence from those who are being directed and served (Neh 5:1)

7.       An ability to know what he should and  should not delegate to others (Neh 4:13)

8.       An ability to inspire and encourage workers by cheerfulness, approval, praise, and challenges (Neh 2:1; 4:14)

9.       A joy and fulfillment in seeing all the parts come together in a finished product (Neh 8)

 

Negatives

 

1.       Viewing people as human resources rather than human beings.

2.       Using people to accomplish personal ambitions.

3.       Showing favoritism to those who seem most loyal.

4.       Taking charge of projects that are not God's direction.

5.       Delegating too much work to others.

6.       Overlooking serious character faults in valuable workers.

7.       Being unresponsive to suggestions and appeals.

8.       Failure in giving proper explanations and praises to workers.