What is my design?

Lots of folks have claimed to be prophets over the years, and perhaps they were. But like every gift, it can be used to glorify God or not. Immature prophets can be harsh and act as if they were god himself. The immature prophet is opinionated and more skilled at tearing down than building up. Good intentions are not absent but excelling is seen as the way to please God. The prophet struggles to enjoy close relationships.

The mature prophet, on the other hand, takes the principles of God to build relationships to their intended beauty. The prophet who walks in the Light receives mercy and forgiveness from God and effectively distributes it to others. The prophet has immense potential grow the Body of Christ to great beauty!

Some behavioral traits to help you identify if this is your design:

• See things in black & white
• Logic driven
• Bold
• Faith is an easy thing
• Hate status quo
• Quick to judge or categorize
• Fixer

Are you the one who simply cannot say no? Do you get angry over being used and feel like no one else ever does their share? Do you hear the lie that says you are nobody...even while you run yourself ragged to please everybody else? Maybe God has designed you as a servant...but that is not a doormat. See if these characteristics speak of you:

• Work well with others and honor them
• Make excuses for others
• Hard worker
• Obedience is easy for you
• Reach out for the unloveable people
• Desire to walk in holiness
• Like to make others comfortable

If that is you, here is a beautiful truth. God knows your heart is to serve and He can trust you more than most because of that! You have great authority when you learn to not respond to life as a victim. Your victory lies in understand you are worthy in the eyes of God!

Ezra, Luke, Mary and Isaiah are among the teacher types in Scripture. You may be a teacher if you are a research-oriented person who likes to write. Teachers hate conflict but have a quick wit and humor. They are not likely to receive new truth quickly--or reject ideas out of hand. The teacher tends not to be judgmental which makes them safe for others and not intimidating.

Even though the tendency is not to be judgmental, immature teachers have an equally challenging negative: keeping studies in the head and not melding in the heart. Teachers prefer to have the path laid out before they start and often feel unworthy of leading. Self-centered religiosity keeps the teacher from reaching their designed heights.

Teachers must learn to live out what their heads know. When they do, they blend teaching and discipline to the Body that cleanses!

Now there's a word we don't use often! An exhorter is one who encourages, one who builds teams and enjoys people. The exhorter is a world-changer who loves a crowd...and is loved by the crowd. A networker attuned to people's feelings, this gifting is not intimidated by new ideas and has masterful communication skills.

Pleasing people is something many of us struggle with, but the exhorter feels the weight even more. Sensitivity to criticism makes the exhorter prone to please people instead of God--and causes the agenda of others to take priority over the agenda of the King. Time management issues play into the struggle.

The exhorter has great potential for drawing people into knowing God personally when the cult of comfort is laid to rest! Growing disciples is the fruit of the mature exhorter.

Who owns it all? There is the question the Giver must answer...and the right answer, of course, is God. The Giver who stewards what God owns instead of seeking to find comfort in resources has much to offer the Kingdom of God. Resources simply flow to the Giver; learning to allow God access and control of those resources is the pinnacle for this gifting.

A desire for control opens the door in the Giver's life for the enemy. Sometimes that desire looks sweet: like providing for others. Digging to the root of immature finds that the gifts are actually meeting the givers need to be needed by others. Since only Christ meets any need fully, victory comes to the Giver when he/she releases resources to the control of God.

The leader enjoys planning and pressure--and thinks everyone else does too! A ruler is skilled at time management but cannot be micro-managed or scheduled against their will. They do not go about assigning blame to others but find ways to fix the problems that come about. The God-designed ruler has an incredible ability to help people find their place and is masterful at using imperfect people...but may drive people too hard.

Rulers sometimes fail to seek the wisdom of God and rely on their own instincts. They may fall into the trap of thinking the ends justify the means. There is potential for great good in a Godly ruler and great devastation when this personality runs afoul of the Lord.

When living in the Lord, the Ruler gifting has the potential of bringing great blessings to many.

The final design in Romans is that of Mercy. Those with a mercy design rarely have enemies, and they are a safe place for wounded hearts to come. Not the folks to take risks, they avoid conflict unless they are fighting for others. Immature mercy design folks are often too willing to allow injustices to themselves, in fact. Mercies find it easy to enter into the presence of God and that ability helps them to be a great conduit of holiness.

At the root of giving mercy can be a stubbornness that opens the door to living a life of self-gratification. Unwilling to confront others, the Mercy can be paralyzed from action. A victim spirit may settle upon this design. Designed to be those who relieve the pain of others, avoiding confrontation simply makes sense to the mercy because confrontation is likely to cause pain.

The beautiful authority or design of Mercy is to reveal the heart of God to the world around them.

Typically the passage of scripture found in Romans is taught as one portion of the spiritual gifts given only to believers--not as a design for humanity, both lost and redeemed. I recognize this alternative view will stress some and bless others. I also recognize that spiritual gifts assessments often clump all of these passages--and leave some discouraged or confused. There is clarity in looking at the passages with the specificity of the Givers.

Clearly the instructions given in the passage are to the children of God (the redeemed who trust in Christ). However, overall the letter is in the context of the love God that covers all. Not all are children of God but all are created by Him. Paul was speaking to the Church...and we should use our design for Kingdom purposes! This view does not negate that concept; it enhances it!

By the way: God gives more and better gifts to His children. 1 Corinthians and Ephesians speak of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit and by Jesus Himself. They, too, bring immense blessing to individuals and the Kingdom. Below you can see how these fit too.

Romans 11:29 says God calls and gifts without repentance--meaning He seeks us and blesses us long before we ever acknowledge it. To God be great honor and glory!

With all that and the scriptures below, I offer this with a prayer of blessing for any who read.

Looking at the Romans 12 gifts as individual design leaves us with many other scriptural gifts, doesn't it? But mushing all of those gifts together in one spiritual assessment is not the answer. In Ephesians 4, we see that Jesus, the Son, gives gifts to the Church. These are often called the Five-Fold Ministry Gifts or Equipping Gifts. Not every believer receives these gifts...Christ gives what His Beloved Church needs. Every Church body has the gifts within that it needs to grow and flourish.

The gifts to the Church are the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastor/Shepherds and Teachers. The individual designed as a 'teacher' may or may not be a Teacher for the Church. God may use a Prophet as the Teacher in an individual body of believers. The Gifts of the Son are to the Church based on the needs of the Church.

Perhaps the most well known list of spiritual gifts is found in First Corinthians. It is the preface to the 'love chapter' for Paul said NOTHING is of use without love. These gifts are also called manifestation gifts...because they manifest (or make visible) God!

These amazing gifts are available to every believer as needed...when the believer is walking in the spirit. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment and tongues are among the gifts given by the Holy Spirit.

The gifts of the spirit are all about ministry. When you are face-to-face with a hurting soul, the Spirit longs to meet that wounded soul with a touch. Quiet your own soul and listen to the Spirit; He will provide the gift needed at just the right time!