Do Children have Spiritual Gifts? - Merry White Christmas from the Noreds!

[James Nored]

I hope that you are having a Merry Christmas this holiday season! While Christmas was of course yesterday, for us, Christmas lasts all the way through at least New Years Day. I love Christmas, and I never want it to end.

 
Yesterday we had quite the snow storm in McKinney, TX. Above is a picture of our family in the snow storm. It used to never snow in McKinney--certainly not more than an inch, and never on Christmas. But it seems to be a regular occurrence these days! 

 

The past couple of months we have been working hard on getting out our Spiritual gifts video testimonials from people for all 20 Spiritual gifts (see the first one on the Gift of Pastoral Care/Shepherding). All of this work on this project prompted my girls (11 and 8) to ask about Spiritual gifts the other night.

 

Emily, my eight year old, asked, what if I don't have a Spiritual gift? From the mouths of babes . . . . Many people do not know that they have Spiritual gifts, and so this Spiritual Gifts Inventory is very affirming. I assured her that everyone had spiritual gifts. So I asked what Emily what ministry things did she really like doing. She said going to sing at the nursing home. I asked her, what did you like--the singing, or encouraging the older people? She said both. While singing is a talent, little Emily might be developing the Gift of Encouragement.

 

I also asked Gina, who is 11, what she really liked doing ministry wise. She said going to be with, minister to, and pray with the homeless (something that we did a few weeks ago with the youth group). I said that that probably is the gift of Mercy (she also loves our food pantry ministry), which is helping the down and out. A great discussion!

This brings up the question, do children have Spiritual gifts? When do we receive our Spiritual gifts? Spiritual gifts are given to “each of us” by Christ (Eph. 4:7), chosen and allotted by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11), and activated by God (1 Cor. 12:6). This is a Spiritual, Christocentric, God-given process, so Spiritual gifts are always going to be a bit mysterious, despite helpful tools like Spiritual gifts Inventories and the like. 

 

But it is clear to me both from personal experience, observation, and research that God uses all that we are--our natural Strengths and talents and our life experiences--in shaping our Spiritual gifts. God is at work in developing these in us all of our lives. But they are only fully "activated" when we turn to Christ and accept the leading of the Spirit. 

 

The apostle Paul is a good example of this. Clearly he was being shaped by God with the gifts of apostolic/missional leadership, teaching, knowledge, leadership, and more. But until he turned to Christ, he was not serving God as God had intended. After his turn to Christ and his baptism, he clearly began to use or activate these gifts as God intended.

 

So do children have Spiritual gifts? I would say that they have the initial shaping of these gifts--particularly if raised in a Christian household--and that these gifts will be fully activated and used as they turn more and more to Christ in faith, repentance, baptism, and lifelong service. So we need to help both the young and the old discover their gifts, at whatever level and degree that they have them. As with adults, ministry and Spiritual gifts exploration can help them in their Spiritual gifts discovery. By doing this, we will help further their Spiritual development and help them learn to serve God and others more fully.

 

So, do children have Spiritual gifts? Please share your thoughts!

[James Nored]

Thank you, Sue! The youth are not the future of the church. They ARE the church! 

[Sue Johnsson]

Yes, I believe that a child, who has received Christ as Savior, has also been given a spiritual gift. However, too many times the church has neglected the discipleship of children and assisting them in discovering and using their gifts and natural talents for Christ. I remember the old old chorus we used to sing in Sunday School, "I don't have to wait until I'm grown up, to be what Jesus wants me to be." That made a great impression on my life and my ministry too. We dare not neglect the part in ministry that children can contribute, falsely thinking that they will only be really "valuable" to the work of the ministry when they are grown up!

[James Nored]

Thanks for the thoughts, Danny! I believe that children, who dwell in the kingdom of God, have a type of precursor to the fuller expression of Spiritual gifts that God intends for them--if it possible to dissect Spiritual gifts understanding in this way.

Just as many children need guidance in their Spiritual gifts discovery and understanding, so do adult! I have heard so many adults say just what my Emily said--I don't think that I have any Spiritual gifts. But God says that each Christian does have Spiritual gifts.

Thanks for the church growth Spiritual gifts link. Have you checked out my website at www.YourSpiritualGifts.com? There you can receive your top 5 Spiritual gifts for FREE by taking the Spiritual gifts inventory on the site. I try to emphasize that Spiritual gifts are to be used in all areas of our lives--work/world/neighborhood, family, and the church. When we do this, when we are constantly looking for ways and opportunities to serve God and others throughout the day and week, well, our faith comes alive!

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, Danny!

[Danny Bratcher]

Hey James.  I would have to agree with you that children have Spiritual gifts.  It seems like we are always hearing stories of children helping others, doing random acts of kindness, etc.  And while children realize the good deeds that they are doing, I believe that they probably do not understand that they have gifts.  I would also agree with you that it is up to us as adults to recognize and encourage children in their gifts so that they will be aware of these gifts as adults and be able to use them to their full potential to glorify God and His Kingdom!

 

Also, I do not know if you are aware, but there is a free Spitiual gift analysis at www.churchgrowth.org  This analysis ranks your gifts from strongest to weakest, as well as explains each gift in detail.  Maybe this analysis can help more people to realize their gifts, and then they too can use them to their full potential to glorify God and His Kingdom! 

[James Nored]

We should also remember that Jesus said that we must become like little children to enter into the Kingdom of God. How does this factor into this discussion?