Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ESV)
Identity and self-image are important things in a person's life. Who we see ourselves to be goes a long way toward defining how we live our lives. A person who struggles with low self-esteem will often act out in ways that are counterproductive to a healthy, purposeful life. If I see myself as less than the image bearer God made me to be, I will live my life below my God-given potential. If I see myself as damaged goods, broken beyond repair and unworthy of God's love I might well give up trying to live a life that is good and holy. On the other hand if I believe the world revolves around me and it's all about me, I will only use others to get what I want and fail to build healthy, loving relationships that fulfill my life or ever know the joy of simply serving others.
When I come to the end of myself and give my life to Jesus Christ in faith and trust I receive grace from Him - the forgiveness of my sins. I also receive His Presence in my life in the form of His indwelling Holy Spirit. And that changes everything. Knowing Christ changes my identity from sinner to saint - a Biblical word for one who has been set apart, not for a person who has attained sinless perfection. Receiving Christ as my Savior and Lord restores my identity from being lost and broken to being a gifted and fruitful bearer of the image of God. The Holy Spirit is the giver of spiritual gifts and the producer of spiritual fruit in my life, growing me over time to be more holy in love and in life, and therefore more Christlike.
The spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament are more than those named by the Apostle Paul in the verses above in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. It is good to study them and better to operate in them in a life of service to others for the Kingdom of God. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
Every follower of Jesus who has the Holy Spirit living in our hearts has the potential to demonstrate any of the spiritual gifts at different times and in different life events. The Holy Spirit has all the gifts at His disposal, and He manifests the gifts in each of us as He determines, not so we will feel good about ourselves or become famous or somehow prove we are more spiritual than others. No, the manifestation of the Spirit is for the common good. It is for others that the Spirit manifests the gift of wisdom or knowledge or healing or prophecy.
I am a bearer and steward of the gifts the Holy Spirit activates and manifests in my life as I minister to others. That's not just something I do because I am a pastor. It is who I am in Christ, whatever my vocation. The spiritual gifts that Holy Spirit has made manifest in my own life so far include the gifts of preaching and teaching, of administration, of wisdom and of service. (Note that some of these gifts are listed in other of Paul's writings.) Jesus has never activated in my life (so far) the gifts of miraculous healing, of speaking in tongues or of interpretation of tongues. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
The point of the spiritual gifts is ministry to others. Alongside the giving of gifts for ministry, the Holy Spirit is shaping my identity as an image-bearer of the Living God by growing the fruit of the Spirit in my character.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
Before and underneath my identity as a spiritually gifted servant in ministry to others is my identity as a Christlike child of God. Spiritual gifts wielded from a heart that is selfish, troubled, impatient, unkind and out of control will make one clear impression on others - that I am the center of the universe, and not that Jesus is the center of my life. Character is the foundation on which giftedness has the footing to have maximum impact in others' lives. The Holy Spirit is not about one or the other in my life, He is all about both building my character to be full of the fruit of the Spirit, and manifesting His Presence and power and love and ministry through my life to bless and draw others to Jesus.
To be redeemed by Jesus Christ and transformed by His Spirit, working in my life to make me more and more like Himself is to be gifted and fruitful. And that means life is more than eating, sleeping and going to work. Life is about more than having a nice house and car and taking a nice vacation. Life is about more than hobbies and entertainment. Every follower of Jesus is called to a life of witness and service, even if one is not called to vocational ministry as a pastor or missionary. And every person who belongs to Christ has the Holy Spirit resident in our hearts, which means we are both gifted and fruitful. It's who we are in Christ and who the Holy Spirit is growing us to be in the course of our discipleship.
Our part in the process is to welcome the filling of the Holy Spirit and obey Him, rather than resist and grieve Him, in His ministry of the transformation of our character and the manifestation of Jesus made real in our daily living so others may know Him. In our surrender to Him we grow in Jesus Christ to become all He means for us to be. And that is a life of high adventure and deep meaning, which we were made for and which we long for. To God be the glory!