God grants amazing gifts to His children in order to help us live with grace and to proclaim the love of God we receive. According to the Bible, there are seven gifts, or attributes, that are received from God at Baptism, and further strengthened at Confirmation. By understanding these gifts, we can identify when they are present in our lives and give thanks to God.
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD – and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1-3a (NIV)
Strengthen your faith by learning about each of the spiritual gifts of God and how they appear in your own life.
Considered the greatest of the gifts, wisdom of God is the ability to perceive the world according to the truth of God’s word. A person is able to see God in everyone and everything. Proverbs tells us that reverence of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom. Those who possess this gift will follow in God’s path and act according to the principles of His word.
God grants His children the gift of a deeper understanding. This goes beyond just being able to understand Scripture, but also includes comprehension of how we live God’s word in our life. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about what is right and wrong. But instead, knows how to lead a life as a follower of Christ.
The gift of counsel can be interpreted as the gift of right judgement. A child of God knows the difference between right and wrong, and chooses to do what is right. An individual with this gift will possess the judgement to avoid sin and make decisions with the values of God in mind.
Isaiah refers to this as might, but it is deeper than mere physical strength. Fortitude is a moral toughness and courage to stand up for what is right. A person with this gift doesn’t back down, even in the face of rejection and scorn for their beliefs. This gift enables us to stand firm, not in our own strength, but in the strength provided by the Lord.
With knowledge, a person understands the meaning of God. To “know” is more than just studying the facts, but to live through God. The gift of knowledge enlightens a person with a new perspective, enabling them to see everything in their lives through the lens of God and feeling His presence on their path.
With the gift of piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church. A person with piety recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before Him with humility, trust, and love. We feel the desire to show a passion through duty and worship to God as our Father.
Fear is interpreted as reverence, wonder and awe. A person living in the fear of the Lord is one who has been captivated by the majesty of God, and awed by the love of God. He is the infinite Creator and, as a child of God, we recognize our dependence living before His perfect power.
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