About the Nelson Motivational Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Rev. Dr. Toby Nelson and Judith A. Nelson, M.C.
The Bible says that God has chosen "to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us"
(Ephesians 3:30, NIV). This power center comes from the indwelling presence
of Almighty God's Holy Spirit, and is for the purpose of revealing God
and actively empowering Christians to participate in accomplishing the
Lord’s work to advance the Kingdom of God. God chooses to work through
believers "so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all
reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ"
(Ephesians 4:12,13, NIV).
God accomplishes these purposes through a variety of powerful gifts, at
least one of which is given to us at the time of our salvation. While
people may be gifted in doing any number of ministries in the church and
among people, and while God may periodically demonstrate any number of
manifestations through His people, there are certain gifts listed in Romans
12:4-8, sometimes called Motivational Spiritual Gifts, which affect
the ministries and the entire lifestyle of each believer. God uses these
gifts to motivate us to discern needs, act in the wisdom and power of
his Spirit, make decisions, shape values, and determine priorities. They
also affect our relationships and influence our reactions. The Motivational
Spiritual Gifts mentioned in Romans 12 impact the entire breadth and depth
of our personal lifestyles.
The basic understanding of the Motivational Spiritual Gifts model is that
at conversion, each believer is given one of the gifts listed in Romans
12:4-8; and in the power of that one motivational gift, you can participate
in all, or any of, the rest of the gifts listed in Romans
12, I Corinthians
12 and Ephesians 4,
and in any number of ministries, as the Lord directs and empowers. However,
each believer will minister differently from those with other motivational
gifts because God created us with differing perspectives, awarenesses,
and abilities.
While each gift profile includes a variety of ministries to which people
of that gift are more naturally drawn toward, we are not called to participate
in everything. Sometimes it is in God's plan to allow others who are differently
gifted to do ministries that are better suited for them and not for us.
Just as Paul implies, the eye functions best as an eye, and the foot as
a foot. Be free to function within the motivational gift of organization
in the power of the Holy Spirit, and allow God to produce fruitfulness
through you and in you!
When we understand how our motivational spiritual gift affects every aspect
of our lives, we can cooperate with the will of God. When we do not cooperate,
by trying to do or be something other than for what God has created us,
there may be frustration, guilt, ineffectiveness and energy depletion.
Often, the presence and power of God seem distant. On the other hand,
when we are operating in the power of our motivational spiritual gift,
there is often energy, freedom, joy, and changed lives.