Spiritual Gifts, 19

 ~ The Spiritual Gift of Administration ~

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

Serving Gifts  ~  Within the Service Sector we compared the Spiritual Gift of Serving with non-profit organizations in society.  The Gift of Going / Mercy was likened to Missionaries, while the Gift of Helps is a parallel for food banks and similar organizations.  The Gift of Hospitality was compared to the travel industry, and the Gift of Leadership is a direct parallel to leaders throughout society.  The Gift of Administration is a clear counterpart to managers throughout society.

Gift of Administration  ~  In modern societies many would consider this to be a sub-set of the Gift of Leadership.  “The God-given legislative ability to stand behind people in order to collect data, to set policy, to develop plans which will guide a course of action with skill and wisdom.” –Loren Fischer

Scripture  ~  “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Are all workers of miracles?  Do all have gifts of healings?  Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?  But earnestly desire the best gifts.  And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:27-31).

Traits  ~  The person with the gift of administration will typically; 1) develops careful plans to implement a particular course of action, 2) assume responsibility of supervision to see that the details on a job are running smoothly, and 3) establish guidelines and procedures for the participants in a project to see that the job gets done correctly.

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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