The first person, who is very strong at proclaiming the truth, exposing any wrongdoing and revealing the consequences resulting from it, would respond to this sick person by saying something like, "What's goin on? Have you been involved in something that's not right? Just tell me. You have a choice to change this."
The second person, who, without even trying, uses his time and talents to meet the needs of those around him in practical ways, would probably say something like, "I've arranged for someone to look after your home, take out the garbage, bring in the mail, feed the dog, water your plants, and prepare some meals for when you return home".
The third person, who is the expert at clarifying truth, and validating information, would most likely respond by saying something like, "Let me explain exactly what your condition is. I've done some research and this is what I found out....".
The fourth person, the one who stimulates hope and promotes positive growth, would say something like, "Hey, it could have happened to anyone. Everything happens for a reason. Don't worry, things will get better. You just wait and see!"
The fifth person, who uses his monetary resources to help those around him, would chime in by saying, "Got you covered. The bills are taken care of. No need to worry about how you're going to pay for this. Don't give it another thought."
The sixth person, the task oriented person, the one who loves to complete any assignment, would probably say something like, "From here on out, we're going to set up some precautionary measures to ensure this doesn't happen again. I'll get that list over to you ASAP!"
The seventh person, who can't bear to see another person suffer, who wants to alleviate their burden and remove every pain, would most likely say, "I feel terrible about all this, I am so sorry to see you going through this horrific ordeal. How awful for you!"
All of us respond to situations in one of these seven ways. In your mind, picture your family acting out this same scenario. At work, picture each employee/employer acting out a similar scenario. How would each
person respond? How would you respond, quickly and effortlessly?
Here is the condensed version of the predominant traits found in a person with each gift.
The first person -The Prophet
Persuasive in defining truth
Has an acute alertness to dishonesty and dishonest motives
Exposes without restoring
Dwells on the negative
The second person - The Server
Meets a need quickly, impulsively
Disregards his own weariness
Can rob a person of their own responsibilities
Can let "doing things" become too important
The third person - The Teacher
Gathers facts, relies on researched studies
Loves information
Becomes proud of his knowledge
Depends on his own reasoning from his own studying
The fourth person - The Encourager
Committed to the growth of others
Turns a problem into a benefit
Can look to himself for solutions
Starts projects prematurely
The fifth person - The Giver
Invests himself with the gift
Desires to give gifts of high quality
Wants others to praise him for his giving
Can use his giving to as a means to get something back
The sixth person - The Leader
Able to visualize the final results
Ability to delegate
Views people as resources
Fails to explain or praise
The seventh person - Mercy
Feels deeply for hurting people
Empathizes with loved ones
Takes up offenses easily
Leans on emotion vs. reason
These seven different gifts, as described in the Bible, display specific characteristics that were designed at the core of our own unique individuality; responses that we will act out during our entire existence on this side of eternity; motivating drives and strong tendencies that reveal the strengths and weaknesses that further define who we are.
The Bible reference can be found in Romans 12:6-8 which reads;
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
In the countless careers and professions people have excelled in throughout the ages, a person will always express himself using one of these gifts, without any conscious effort or awareness.
For example, let's take a nurse in that pretend hospital room we talked about earlier. If she wants to stay employed, she will carry out all the tasks required of her job. If she is the sixth person, "the leader", she will always have a take charge attitude around her patients. She will have some expectations of her patients, knowing the final results will be a combination of her strong sense of dictating the rules, along with the patients' decision to following these rules. However, if she is the seventh person, filled with "mercy", she too, will carry out all the tasks required of her job, but she will perform them with the utmost heartfelt gestures a person can show. She will be warm-hearted and understanding in her approach to her patients, spending time listening to every last detail of their challenging circumstance. She will probably hug her patients frequently.
Think of all the people you have crossed paths with in your lifetime; whatever capacity they excel in, one of these gifts will always dominate and dictate his response to situations. It will eventually be recognized as a predictable characteristic of his personality.
You have heard it said that "variety is the spice of life", and nowhere is that truth displayed more than in the diversity we encounter with every person we come in contact. If we tried to write a summary that included the vast amount of components present in the creation of every individual, we would probably find that our list would remain inconclusive and incomplete at best. But thankfully, there is enough evidence present already, saving us the need for researching people for the rest of our lives. Millions upon millions of people on this planet; all the same and all different. Each one gifted to accomplish a purpose. Wow, that's pretty incredible! Someday we'll all meet this amazing artist, our maker, the One who thought of us all!
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