The Charisms: Some tips and notes

Some tips:

Discovering our spiritual gifts helps us to be used by God to the full potential that we were created for, resulting in great contentment and confidence in the Lord.

Knowledge of spiritual gifts helps in a division of labor and, consequently, in increased growth in the body of Christ. Not knowing our gifts will result in loss of time and energy.

Knowledge of the gifts we possess helps us to know where we fit in the body of Christ.

We should study the different gifts and have an eager desire to receive them, but should be willing to accept God’s timing in giving them.

We should experiment with different ministries in order to check if we have the gifts related for the same.

We can seek the prayerful opinion of a close friend, a spiritual director or a marriage partner to help us evaluate what gifts we have.

Sometimes a word of prophecy can help us in knowing our gifts.

We can also discover our gifts by checking our persistent desires and abilities.


Some facts:

The gifts of the Spirit were manifested even before Pentecost, but before then they were given to a few people for a specific purpose. Here are some people in the New Testament who were filled with the Holy Spirit: John the Baptist (cf. Luke 1:15), Mary (Luke 1:35), Elizabeth (Luke 1:41) and the apostles (Matthew 10:1-8).

Every gift comes from the Holy Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:4) and God operates every gift (1 Corinthians 12:6).

Every believer can have a gift (1 Corinthians 12:11) and one person can have all gifts (John 3:34, Romans 15:29).

Gifts should be used where needed (1 Corinthians 12:12-31, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40).

Gifts can be received by faith and prayer (1 Corinthians 14:1, Mt 7:7-11) and we can choose which gifts we need (1 Corinthians 12:31, I Corinthians 14:1 & 12).

We know when we have received them, when the Spirit manifests them through us to accomplish the intended purpose (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-31).

Gifts are to continue throughout this age (Matthew 28:20).

Gifts are permanent (Romans 11:29) and can be exercised at will (1 Corinthians 14:26-32).

Gifts can be misused (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and also can be exercised in a backslidden state (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11).

Gifts can be neglected (1 Timothy 4:14) and must be used when needed (1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Corinthians 14:17, 26).

Finally, the Catechism teaches: "It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good" (CCC 801).