Whether a person
is right-brain or left-brain is an organic issue. Right-brained people see the
whole picture. They are generally more creative and emotional, because
emotional concepts and messages are stored in the right half of the brain. Left-brained
people see the various parts, process logically and in a linear fashion, and
think more strategically. Most people have a fairly effective blend between the
two sides of the brain and can transition between them with ease, while some
people are dominated by one side or the other. Each of the gifts will be expressed
differently, depending on whether the person is right-brained or left-brained.
A left-brained teacher will be different than a right-brained teacher. A
left-brained teacher will be more analytical and research oriented, will
compartmentalize, and will break down information into bite-sized pieces, but
right-brained teachers will express their gift more emotionally and more
relationally. Left-brained teachers enjoy spending hours researching in the lab
or in the library, and right-brained teachers love to be in the classroom and
light up when students “get it.”
Some of the
gifts tend more toward being left-brained in their basic God-given essence and
in their expression, like prophet and ruler, which tend to be better at being
logical, prioritizing, making decisions, and organizing. The servant gift is
more right-brained and therefore may tend to be more emotional and expressive
through actions, rather than vocally. The
mercy gift is more right-brained, visual, creative, and inclined to the arts
and worship. A mercy or servant raised and taught in a left-brained environment
may have suppressed those parts of their design that were not seen as
acceptable, or they may have acquired organizational skills from watching the
parents, but that does not alter the spiritual DNA of their gift.
