E90 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Discovering Your Spiritual Gift - Part 4 of 7 - Exhortation
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #90
Title: What is Your Spiritual Gift? – Part 4 of 7 – Exhortation
Date: January 23, 2023
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Our Key verse describes how Jesus used exhortation: Luke 3:18 – ‘And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.’
The word exhortation is from a pair of root words meaning proximity, and to call – it means to come near and call by name. It is a personal encouragement, especially to do what is right.
In the key verse, Jesus beseeched the people with the Gospel meaning He wanted, and encouraged them to respond to His message and find forgiveness from GOD. It is the same today, Jesus still exhorts us to respond to His Word.
Intro: Sometimes I wonder if the gift of exhortation is the most difficult gift to exercise. The reason being in this day and age people are becoming indifferent to the Word of GOD.
Whether you try to exhort others to believe the Gospel and be saved, or exhort Christians to obey the commands and principles found in the Word of GOD, it can be tough to be heard.
In this episode, I hope to show how to discover if you have the gift of exhortation and look briefly at ways to exercise it.
Devotion focus: Exercising the Gift of Exhortation – How did Jesus do it?
Before looking at how Jesus exhorted others, let’s examine a few ways to see if you have this gift by answering these questions. Keep in mind, it is a totality of these attributes that indicate the gift of exhortation:
1. Are you committed to spiritual growth?
2. Are you able to see root problems easily?
3. Do you like to prescribe steps of action?
4. Do you try to give hope by finding solutions?
5. Do you like to turn problems into benefits?
6. Desire to be transparent?
7. Do you gain insight and learn through experience?
8. Do you like to urge action on clear steps?
9. Do you prefer to give encouragement face to face?
10. Do you avoid ideas that lack practical application?
Having a majority or all of these traits, and the fact you enjoy most of them indicate the gift of exhortation. The way to find out is to put them into practice.
Now, how to do this without losing all your friends and being shunned by your family?
First off, exercising this gift, requires it be done in love. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. And I don’t mean you have to have feelings of love or even like everyone you come across. It is a love for their soul.
This is where knowing how Jesus acted around people when he was preaching, helps us exercise our gifts. What else is preaching, but exhortation? But listen, we don’t have to preach at people when trying to encourage them, even when it is for their good.
Jesus put forth His teachings and examples and parables and then left the decision to each person of whether to apply his exhortation to their lives.
A word of encouragement for you if this is your gift. Do not look for confirmation by the results you hope for. This will likely lead you into discouragement.
Instead, look to the Lord, knowing if you give exhortation in His Name and authority, He is pleased. Then leave the results to Him.
Next, be careful before butting into someone’s private life and then you start bossing them around. Even if they come to you for counsel it is better to ask leading questions instead of giving advice first thing. The right questions will take them to the answer, the answer you may know will work for them. Let them discover the answer concerning their circumstances, through the questions you ask.
It is more effective when someone discovers the answer for themselves, what it is they need to do. And listen, most people know deep down what it is they should do, and will eventually arrive at the correct conclusion, with your guidance. When they do name the best answer, they may ask it as a question to see whether you agree they are on the right track. This is the point that you exhort them, gently, but firmly to follow through.
This method is more effective because the decision to make changes in their life is something they came up with, and your exhortation to follow through strengthens their resolve.
Now, this is just one example of using exhortation as a gift, but it is a common scenario with those who have wise experience with the gift of exhortation.
Here are a couple of descriptions, from an online source, of exhortation at work:
1. If you are an Exhorter, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by motivating others to action, by urging them to pursue a course of conduct. You are the “how to” teacher, explaining how to apply God’s Word to everyday life.
2. Given a choice of encouraging by empathy, or encouraging by exhortation, a person with this motivational gift will exhort every time. Wise counsel flows from the heart of an exhorter who can skillfully identify precepts and principles in God's Word. Exhorters love to encourage, encourage, encourage!
Summary: The gift of exhortation requires that you use wisdom and discernment before taking action. Exhortation is intended to encourage others by leading them to discover a solution to troubling the circumstance they find themselves in.
At other times exhortation is simply teaching principles from the Bible, whether to an individual or group.
A key requirement when using this gift is recognizing that exhortation is a call to action. It is not sympathy or empathy, though both will be present, these two are emotions that lack a call to take action, to follow through on a decision.
Action to consider: Do an online study of trusted sources concerning the gift of exhortation. You’ll find examples of this gift being used, as well as further descriptions of the gift’s characteristics. And then listen for opportunities to use your gift. Guard against presenting a sterile formula to people who may be hurting. First, listen carefully to ensure you understand what people are telling you. And if the circumstances call for it, offer counsel gently, but firmly.
Next week’s devotion: The Spiritual Gift of Giving
More notes for study:
https://www.fba.org/discipleship/guide-to-spiritual-gifts
· Prophecy
· Service
· Teaching
· Exhortation
· Giving
· Organization
· Mercy
Prophecy:
Characteristics of the Gift of Prophecy
• Need to express themselves
• Quick impressions of people
• Alertness to dishonesty
• Desire for justice
• Openness about their own faults
• Wholehearted involvement
• Loyalty to truth vs. people
• Willingness to suffer for right
• Persuasiveness in defining truth
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Prophecy
• The individual’s sense of right and wrong may be judged as intolerance
• The strong desire to proclaim truth may be interpreted as disinterest in listening to another’s point of view
• Frankness may be viewed as harshness
• Interest in groups may be interpreted as disinterest in individuals
• Efforts to gain results may be seen as using gimmicks
• Emphasis on decision may appear as neglecting spiritual growth
• Public boldness and strict standards may hinder intimate personal relationships
The Gift of Prophecy in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Truthfulness Deception
Obedience Willfulness
Sincerity Hypocrisy
Virtue Impurity
Boldness Fearfulness
Forgiveness Rejection
Perseverance Contentiousness
Service:
Characteristics of the Gift of Service
• Sees and meets practical needs
• Frees others to achieve
• Disregards weariness
• Has difficulty in saying “no”
• Is alert to likes and dislikes
• Has a strong desire to be with others
• Needs approval
• Likes short-range projects
• Puts extra punch to jobs
• Meets needs quickly
• Tends to feel inadequate and unqualified
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Service
• Quickness in meeting needs may appear pushy
• Avoidance of red tape may result in excluding others from jobs
• Disregard for personal needs may extend to one’s own family needs
• Eagerness in serving may prompt suspicion of self-advancement
• May react to others who do not detect and meet obvious needs
• Insistence on serving may appear to be rejection of being served
• Desire to sense sincere appreciation may result in being easily hurt
• Quickness in meeting needs may interfere with spiritual lessons God is teaching those with the needs
• Meeting practical needs may be judged as a lack of interest in spiritual matters
• Enjoyment of short-range goals may result in leadership positions and frustration or disorganization with long-range objectives
• Inability to avoid others’ needs may result in sidetracking employer’s directions
The Gift of Service in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Alertness Unconscious
Hospitality Loneliness
Generosity Stingy
Joyfulness Self-pity
Flexibility Resistance
Availability Self-centered
Endurance Giving up
Teaching:
Characteristics of the Gift of Teaching
• Presents truth systematically
• Requires thoroughness
• Needs to validate information
• Checks out the teacher
• Has great delight in researching
• Relies on established resources
• Is uneasy with subjective truth
• Clarifies misunderstandings
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Teaching
• Appears to neglect practical application
• Knowledge may appear as pride
• Appears critical
• Appears boring with unnecessary details
• Appears dependent on research
• Appears to despise wisdom of uneducated teachers
• Appears to lack warmth
The Gift of Teaching in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Self-control Self-indulgence
Reverence Disrespect
Diligence Laziness, slothfulness
Thorough Incomplete
Dependable Inconsistent
Security Anxiety
Patience Restless, push work aside
Exhortation
Characteristics of the Gift of Exhortation
• Is committed to spiritual growth
• Is able to see root problems
• Prescribes steps of action
• Raises hope for solutions
• Turns problems into benefits
• Desires to be transparent
• Gains insight through experience
• Urges action on clear steps
• Desires to share face to face
• Desires to bring harmony between diverse groups
• Tends to avoid systems of information that lack practical application
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Exhortation
• An emphasis on steps of action may appear to be an oversimplification of the problem
• The urgency in giving steps of action may appear as having overconfidence in them
• May appear to be un-evangelistic because of an emphasis on the importance of spiritual growth and being
a living example
• The desire to win non-Christians through living example may appear
as a lack of interest in personal evangelism
• The use of Scripture for practical applications may appear to take it out of context
• The emphasis on steps of action may appear to disregard the feelings of those being counseled
The Gift of Exhortation in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Wisdom Natural inclinations
Discernment Judgment
Faith Presumption
Discretion Simple mindedness
Love Selfishness
Creativity Underachievement
Enthusiasm Apathy
Giving
Characteristics of the Gift of Giving
• Is able to see resources
• Desires to feel a part of the work
• Desires to give high quality
• Hopes the gift is an answer to prayer
• Desires to give secretly
• Prefers to give without pressure of appeal
• Is concerned that giving will corrupt
• Exercises personal thriftiness
• Gives to motivate others to give
• Confirms amount with counsel
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Giving
• The need to deal with large sums of money may appear to be a focus on temporal things
• The desire to increase the effectiveness of a ministry by a gift may appear to be an attempt to control the work or person
• The attempt to encourage others to give may appear to be putting pressure on people who have less to give
• The lack of response to pressure appeals may appear as a lack of generosity
• The personal frugality by which the individual lives may appear to friends and relatives as selfishness in not meeting their wants
The Gift of Giving in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Thrifty Extravagant
Resourceful Wasteful
Contented Covetous
Punctual Tardiness
Tolerant Prejudice
Cautious Rashness Giving – Unthankfulness
Organization
Characteristics of the Gift of Organization
• The ability to see the big picture and visualize the final results of a major undertaking
• The ability to break down the major goals into smaller, achievable tasks
• The motivation to organize that for which he or she is responsible
• The ability to know what resources are available and needed to reach a goal
• The ability to know what can and what cannot be delegated
• A tendency to remove him or herself from detracting details in order to focus
on the ultimate goals
• A willingness to endure reaction
• A need for loyalty and confidence from those who are being directed and served
• A tendency to assume responsibility if no structured leadership exists
• A desire to complete the task as soon as possible
• A joy and fulfillment in seeing all the parts come together and others enjoying the finished product
• A desire to move on to a new challenge when the previous task is fully completed
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Organization
• The ability to delegate responsibility may appear as laziness in avoiding work
• The willingness to endure reaction may appear to be callous
• The neglect in explaining why tasks must be done may prompt workers to feel like they are being misused
• The viewing of people as resources may appear that projects are more important than people
• The desire to complete the task swiftly may appear to be insensitivity to the schedule, weariness or priorities of others
• Singling out people the individual thinks is specially important to his goals may appear to be showing favoritism
The Gift of Organization in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Orderly Disorganization
Initiative Apathetic
Responsibility Unreliable
Humility Dictatorial
Decisiveness Double-mindedness
Determination Faintheartedness
Loyalty Unfaithful
Mercy
Characteristics of the Gift of Mercy
• The ability to feel an atmosphere of joy or distress in an individual or group
• A tendency to be attracted to and understand people who are having mental or emotional distress
• A desire to remove hurts and bring healing to others rather than to
look for the benefits of the hurts
• A greater concern for the mental distress than the physical distress of others
• A sensitivity to words and actions that will hurt others
• A tendency to react harshly when intimate friends are rejected
• An ability to sense genuine love and a greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts from the lack of love
• A need for deep friendships in which there is a mutual commitment
• A need to measure acceptance by physical closeness and quality time together
• An enjoyment and unity with those who are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others
• A tendency to avoid firmness unless the individual sees how it will bring benefit and eliminate greater hurt
• A closing of the spirit to those who are insincere or insensitive
■ Misunderstandings of the Gift of Mercy
• The avoidance of firmness may appear to be weakness and indecisiveness
• The sensitivity to the spirit and feelings of others may cause some to feel the individual is guided by emotion rather than logic
• The attractions and understanding of those in distress may be misinterpreted by those of the opposite sex
• The sensitivity to words and actions that cause hurts may appear to be taking up another’s offense
• The ability to detect insincere motives may cause some to feel he or she is hard to get to know
The Gift of Mercy in the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Spirit Flesh
Attentiveness Unconcern
Sensitivity Callousness
Fairness Partiality
Compassion Indifference
Gentleness Harshness
Deference Rudeness
Meekness Anger
____________________________
Ben Mandrel
Ben is the president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources.