Do you know what Spiritual Gift(s) God has given you?

You may wish to have certain gifts, and even ask for them (1 Corinthians 12:31 : "But eagerly desire the greater gifts"; Romans 1:10-12, where the Paul says he prays for the Roman congregation to have gifts, and in part, that they use them to build up Paul himself once he arrived). But if it is not the purpose of the Holy Spirit, you will not get what you ask for. When you pray for gifts, ask, not demand, and accept what you are or aren't given as being what the Holy Spirit wants for you.

In some traditions, it is said that we ought to seek God alone, and the gifts will come. But if the apostle Paul is right, then the charismatic gifts are an outgrowth of God's love for each believer, the community of believers, and indeed, the whole world. They are given mainly for the good of people other than the one they're given to. If the Spirit is rightly working in you, then you will develop the thirst for giving love as God wants you to, and the power to get it done. There's one big risk - you might love the accomplishment too much - but the alternative is for you to be badly ineffective at loving others. Just as our love isn't enough and we need Jesus' love in us, so too our abilities are not enough, and we need the Spirit's gifts. God wants you to be involved in every step of your own growth, so that it is not just God's but also truly yours. In like manner, the Spirit wants you involved in finding out what you're being gifted to do.

The Holy Spirit is free to give and to take the gift back and to give it again; the Spirit has full authority over the gift itself. The Holy Spirit may come upon us to give healing to someone at a certain time. Then the gift may be gone. If we're working with the Spirit, the gifts may come often, or be present at all times. Sometimes we're afraid and don't step forward, but that would stop the gift from helping anyone. The Spirit does not seize control to make sure you use it well; with each gift comes responsibility for its use. And there may be more than one gift at any one time - the gifts often come as they are needed, because they're there for the sake of other people, and the situation may call for more than one gift at a time.