Today we will discuss maturity, gender, and the way wounds can affect the way you see your redemptive gifts. This is very important because once you realize that these factors affect the way you view yourself, it will also allow you to analyze in a deeper level how you perceive your God-given giftedness.
For
example, everyone is at a different level of maturity in their personal
development and Christian life. A person’s lever of maturity will color how
they live the characteristics of their redemptive gift. Those who are immature
or are not seeking to live in the fruit of the Spirit will exhibit the
weaknesses of their gifts more than the strengths. While nobody has reached
perfection, we should all be working on our character issues to grow up to
maturity.
Likewise,
there are several issues regarding gender and redemptive gifts. It is easy to
stereotype certain gifts, such as prophet, ruler, and teacher, as being more
masculine and servant mercy as being more feminine. Men often reject the idea
of being a mercy or servant because they perceive it as being weak. This is a misconception.
The gifts of servant and mercy have some of the strongest spiritual authority.
Women with the gifts of prophet and ruler often find it hard to be accepted,
validated, and nurtured a church setting because of the natural boldness and strength
of the gifts. Both men and women need to dig deeper in order to see the beauty of
what God has designed, instead of trying to be something other than who God
made them to be.
On
the other hand, even though everyone has experienced painful situations and
relationships that have left them wounded, many times, those wounds are very
specific about how they change our perception of ourselves and of God. For
example, someone who grew up with and abusive authority figure may become very
self-sufficient and independent because they believe they have to make it
through life on their own. This is a very different motivation than the God given
independence of the prophet and giver. How we are broken, the pain in our soul,
our wrong response to pain, the coping mechanisms, and how we compensate for
those wounds will influence how our gift is expressed. Sometimes people build walls
of self-protection as a way of surviving painful circumstances. These
self-protecting walls may not reflect our gift and may hinder its God-intended
expression.
It
is very important that you approach these issues with prayer. Once you invite
the Holy Spirit into this deeper look into who you are in Christ, He can guide
you. After all, as David so beautifully puts it, no one knows you better than
the Most High,
You
have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. –Psalm 139:1-6
I pray that you may see that the law of the Lord is perfect. I pray that this same law may convert your soul with the perfect testimony of the Lord, which is sure. I pray that the Lord will enlighten your eyes to see that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous, and I pray for understanding, that you may be able to see clearly, and that you will be cleansed from secret faults.
Be blessed!
Kent.
