We don’t need to wander in darkness—by learning to recognize the Spirit’s influence in our lives, we can uncover and use our spiritual gifts for good.
During Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, he teaches us to let our “light so shine before men” as an uncovered candle shines its light to illuminate a house (Matthew 5:14-16). Similarly, our spiritual gifts can act as beacons of spiritual light as we make our way through mortality.
In his BYU devotional address, “Thriving Spiritually,” Matthew Wickman teaches that recognizing our spiritual gifts allows us to be more in tune with the Spirit and to better connect with our innate divinity as children of heavenly parents. “Spiritual gifts are precious,” Wickman says, “because they are…aspects of ourselves in which we more fully reflect our Heavenly Parents.”
So how can you recognize your spiritual gifts?
Photo by Rahul
Start by looking for the influence of the Spirit in your life. This influence may come as a warm feeling in your chest (see Luke 24:32) or as a sense of joy when you follow an unexpected prompting (see Galatians 5:22–23). Consider asking your family and friends what they see as your spiritual gifts, consulting your patriarchal blessing, or fasting to become more spiritually aware. Seeking out your spiritual gifts will draw the Spirit of God even more into your life, which will in turn illuminate the path to recognizing and strengthening your gifts.
When you uncover the light of a spiritual gift, such as having faith in the words of the prophets or noticing when someone is in need of service, you are drawing on the divine power of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 46:26) and drawing closer to him. That divine power will help guide you through the dark patches and rough roads of life. God has not left us to wander in darkness; he has given us gifts of the Spirit to help us light our way back home.
Learn more about how you can uncover your spiritual gifts with Matthew Wickman’s BYU devotional, “Thriving Spiritually.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Alyssa Anderson, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY PIXABAY
Find more insights
Read more about how to become spiritually sensitive by reading Sara McOmber’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Strength in Spiritual Sensitivity: What to Do When You Feel Spiritually Numb.”
Discover how to recognize the Spirit’s influence in your life in Elizabeth Gallacher’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Was That the Spirit?”