How to Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

What does it mean to be used by God—and how do you discover your spiritual gifts?

In this episode of Holly’s Highlights podcast, we dive deep into what Scripture says about spiritual gifts, how to uncover the unique calling God has placed on your life, and why your obedience matters more than your platform.

We’ll explore:

• 🔍 How to identify your spiritual gifts through prayer, self-assessment, and community
• 💡 The difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts
• 🧩 Why every believer has a role to play in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4)
• 📖 The biblical foundation for spiritual gifts—and why they matter today
• 🙏 Practical steps to start using your gifts right where you are

Whether you feel confident in your calling or you’re still seeking clarity, this episode will encourage you to step boldly into your purpose and serve faithfully with the gifts God has given you.

✨ Perfect for:

• Christians seeking to understand their purpose
• Believers wanting to identify their spiritual gifts
• Listeners feeling called to make an impact, but unsure how
• Anyone wrestling with comparison or doubt in their ministry or mission

🔗 Resources mentioned: Spiritual gift assessments, scripture references, and more—linked below:

Spiritual Gifts Test - Focus on the Family

Helping Your Teen Find Their Spiritual Gift

Spiritual Gifts Scripture - 1 Corinthians 12

🙌 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement in their calling.

Chapters

• 0:00 Autumn Hope And Book Highlight
• 1:28 Grief, Legacy, And Comparison
• 3:20 Why Your Gifts Matter
• 4:38 Types Of Spiritual Gifts
• 6:09 How To Discover Your Gift
• 8:09 Live It Out With Love
• 9:45 Surrender, Discover, And Go
• 11:05 Perseverance Over Platform
• 12:25 Listener Action And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:01

Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire, and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, Holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist, and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlight. As the leaves begin to turn and the world slows into the rhythm of autumn, there's no better time to reflect, renew, and rediscover hope. Facelift, embracing hope through your heartaches, is the soulful, heart stirring read your fall has been waiting for. Whether you're navigating a season of loss, change, or quiet transformation, Facelift meets you right where you are, with honesty, encouragement, and a powerful reminder that heartache is not the end of your story. Through deeply personal reflections and transformative insights, this book invites you to uncover beauty and brokenness and find hope in places you least expect. Perfect for fall book clubs seeking meaningful conversation, women's groups and spiritual gatherings, personal journaling and reflection, and anyone longing for hope and healing in hard times. Let this season be the one of soul deep renewal. Let facelift be your guide. Available now at your local bookstore and online at Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Barnes Noble. Grab your copy, share it with a friend, and join the conversation. Hope is only a page away. Hey friends, welcome back. Today we're talking about something that I believe many of us may be wrestling with right now. And that's what does it mean to be used by God? More specifically, how do we discover our spiritual gifts, especially when we feel like we just don't measure up? Well, I want to start by acknowledging the tragic, shocking news that rocked our nation last month. On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk, a bold, passionate, and fearless voice in the Christian and the conservative space, was assassinated. A targeted act meant to silence, but instead his message has only grown louder. Now, to be honest, I hadn't followed Charlie closely. In fact, I hadn't even really heard of him until that day. My brother was in that crowd, and I happened to call him while he was in the midst of the chaos, and I heard such sounds that I'm not sure they ever leave your head. That event was also held on my daughter's college campus. But since then, I have watched his speeches, I've read his words, and let me tell you, this man had a gift, a fire in his bones, a calling that he obviously did not run from. And after watching Charlie's powerful speeches, I felt something I didn't quite expect. I felt discouraged. Here I am doing a podcast, promoting my facelift book, prayerfully considering a second book, trying to speak truth and love on my social medias. And suddenly I just felt very, very small. Like, what's the point? I'm not a Charlie Kirk. I don't speak like that. I don't have the platform. I don't have the following. And honestly, I'm not looking for it. But my desire has been and is to glorify God in all that I do, in all that I say, and in all that I think about. And well, these avenues just seem to be the doors that God has open. Well, Satan has taken that little doubt and he has run with it. Shut it down, the enemy has whispered to me. Nobody's listening. You'll never be as impactful. What's the point? Who do you think you are? But then my brother said something that really made me stop and think. Charlie might have had to die so his testimony could be heard. You know, that really hit me like a ton of bricks, that Charlie wasn't silenced. His voice, his message, it was amplified. And that reminded me of a profound biblical truth found in John 12, 24. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Charlie's life planted seeds. And now we have a responsibility. A responsibility to ask God, what seed have you planted in me? Now, so often we might see someone living out their calling, and we might think I'm just not good enough, or I could never be like that or do that. I recently had this experience just a couple of weekends ago as I watched my dad preach. He nailed it as he shared the gospel. Such a solid impact. And once again, I thought, I'm no Dr. James Harding. Because let's be real, comparison can kill one's calling. Theodore Roosevelt said it best, comparison is the thief of joy. But more than that, it's the thief of disobedience. The Bible is very clear that we're not all called to be evangelists like Charlie Kirk, or even powerful preachers like my dad. But we are called to be faithful with the gifts we've been given. First Corinthians 12, 4 through 6 says, there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same God at work. See, we're a body, and each part, each gift plays its role. And it's important. You might not stand on a national stage. You may never have a mic or a book deal, but your living room might be your pulpit. Your Instagram might be your mission field, your Monday morning meeting. That might be your moment. Romans 12 6 tells us we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. God's not asking you to be a copy of someone else. So how do we find what we are gifted in doing? Well, as a believer, so one who has accepted Jesus into their heart and has a personal relationship with him, we are given what is referred to as a spiritual gift. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a spiritual gift is divinely granted abilities by God or the Holy Spirit to believers for service within the church, encompassing both natural talents enhanced by the Spirit and supernatural manifestations for building up and strengthening the community. As you know, I like to dive into God's word, the Bible, for clarity on things. And there is biblical basis for spiritual gifts. They are rooted in Scripture, especially in Romans 12, where it talks about abilities given by God's grace to different individuals within the Christian body to serve and strengthen the church. 1 Corinthians 12, where it teaches that diverse spiritual gifts originate from the same Holy Spirit and are given to each believer for the common good of the church. And then, of course, Ephesians 4, as it discusses spiritual gifts in terms of their source and purpose and the resulting unity and maturity of the body of Christ. Now, these are different from our natural talents. Spiritual gifts are spiritually empowered, often tied to your purpose in the church, whereas natural talents can exist from birth and are not necessarily tied to faith. So why do spiritual gifts even matter? Well, for identity, they help believers understand their unique role in the body of Christ. For purpose, they guide people to serve in ways that align with how they're spiritually designed. And for community, when everyone uses their gifts, the church becomes a healthy, functioning body. There are different types of spiritual gifts, also. There's service-oriented gifts like helps where you assist others in need, or serving where you serve the needs of others, hospitality, giving, mercy, so showing compassion and care for those who are suffering. There's also speaking or teaching gifts. That would be teaching, exhortation, which is encouraging others, even evangelism, so the gift of sharing the gospel. And then, of course, there's leadership gifts, such as administration, so organizing and managing the affairs of the church or the community, leadership, shepherding, otherwise known as pastoring. So back to that question of how do we discover our spiritual gift? Let me give you some practical steps backed by scripture and some data too. First step, ask God. Seriously, prayer is that first step. James 1.5 tells us if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. So take time, be still. Ask, Lord, what have you placed in me that you want to use? You know, James 5.16 tells us that prayer is powerful and effective. If you want to go deeper into prayer, check into season three, episode five here on Holly's Highlights. But ask God. Step two, assess yourself. There are spiritual gift assessments available. Some I'll link right here in the show notes, and these help identify whether you lean toward teaching or leadership, encouragement, giving, mercy, administration, prophecy, evangelism, service. The point is your gift is needed. Barna Group found that only 30% of practicing Christians say that they even know what their spiritual gift is. That means 70% of believers are possibly walking in the dark about what God has specifically equipped them to do. Let's change that. Step three, ask others. Sometimes we're just too close to ourselves to really see it clearly. So ask godly friends, mentors, even your pastor. This isn't to be confused with someone else telling you what your calling is necessarily, but rather seeking insight from the outside, looking to questions such as, where do you see God using me? Or when do I seem most on fire? So ask others. And step four, get involved. You won't know until you try. So volunteer, teach, serve, host, encourage, pray, see what stirs your soul, what brings life and joy. That's often where your gift lives. Once you discover your gift, live it out. If your gift is encouragement, send notes or texts or speak life over others daily. If your gift is teaching, start a Bible study, a podcast, see how you might be able to get involved in your church. If your gift is giving, support missionaries or nonprofits, single parents, homeless shelters, the list could go on and on here. If your gift is mercy, sit with those who are grieving, perhaps visit hospitals, or even see if someone's going through something where you can go sit with them, whether that be through the death of a lost one, so grieving, but even a surgery, surgery of a child or a parent or a spouse, just go sit with them. Now, if your gift is leadership, step up, lead that group, guide that team, launch that ministry. If your gift is prophecy or discernment, speak truth boldly, but love and humility. Romans 12 6 tells us we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. So remember though, your gift isn't about you, it's about obedience. It's about Him. So use your gifts with humility. Gifts are not about status but service. Use them with love. First Corinthians 13 reminds us that gifts are worthless without love. With accountability, gifts must be used within community and under spiritual authority and with purpose. So focused on edifying others, not self-promotion. There can be common misunderstandings when it comes to spiritual gifts, such as I don't have any gifts. Well, 1 Corinthians 12 7 says every believer is gifted. I have all the gifts. Well, no one has them all. We're meant to rely on each other. Or gifts only happen in church, such as the pastor is the only one with a spiritual gift. Oh goodness, many gifts can be used in everyday life. Encouragement at work, wisdom in parenting, generosity in business. It may be Pastor Appreciation Month this month, but it's not up to the pastor to do all of the serving or ministry within a church. You can check out more on that in season four, episode 20. But back to Charlie Kirk. His death was senseless. It was tragic, it was painful. But if you're listening right now, know this God wastes nothing. Not Charlie's life, not his death, not your doubt, not even your discouragement. If anything, his death should be a wake-up call. If the enemy is attacking you, it's probably because you're dangerous to his agenda. So don't give up. Don't shut it down. Here's what I would encourage you to do today. Three steps. First one is surrender. If you don't know Jesus personally, this is where it starts. As I tell my children, what is the most important thing about life? And they'll respond, having Jesus in your heart. This isn't about religion. It's about a relationship with the one who created you, who died for you, and he wants to empower you. Romans 10 9 says, if you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It literally is as simple as that, my friends. You do not have to work for it. You do not have to earn it. Salvation is a gift from God. Present it to those who simply open the door when Jesus is standing there and knocking. Let him into your heart. You were made with a purpose, and that purpose begins not in religion, but in a relationship with him. Second thing I'd encourage you to do today, discover. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gift. Take an assessment, ask others, pay attention to what stirs your spirit. And remember, what's small in your eyes may be huge in eternity. We may never know this side of heaven, the impact we have on others, and in furthering the kingdom of God. Pray about it. Take the assessments, ask others, but pay attention. Discover. And that third challenge, go. Start using your gift today. What are you waiting for? Not when you're perfect, not when you have a big following, but now in your home, your school, your job, your social media feed. Years ago when teaching youth in the community, I used to end my talks with them, encouraging them with Matthew 28, verse 19 through 20, where it says, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age. So, my friends, get up and go. To Charlie Kirk's family, if you ever hear this, we're still grieving with you. We honor Charlie's legacy, his life mattered, his voice still echoes, and because of his courage, many are now stepping into their calling. Thank you for sharing him with the world. To you, my listener. If you're feeling small and heard, unseen, let me remind you, you are not invisible to God. He placed something in you that no one else has. So don't bury it, don't compare it, don't waste it, and don't silence it. You've got something the world needs, so don't hide it. Let Charlie's life remind us we are not promised tomorrow. So may we be found faithful today. Now I'll be real with you. This month we celebrate five years of Holly's Highlights podcast. It is heard across every nation in the world and rates top now five to ten percent of all podcasts out there, according to Listen Notes, as it kind of depends on the day recently. It has a five-star rating and has reached the top of many charts on good pods such as leadership, how-to, Christianity, parenting, business, motivation, even self-improvement. But I don't know what will come of it. I don't know if my nine-time award-winning book, Facelift, Embracing Hope Through Your Heartaches, will ever reach the people I hope it does, or be a book that is read on the airplane or commonly talked about. I don't know if my speaking will ever be enough. After all, I never set out for any of this. And honestly, I get tired, I get weary. There are days I wonder if any of this is even making a difference. Because this work, it's costly. It costs time, it costs energy, it costs financially more than I can justify. And yet, I still believe it's worth it. Why? Because I trust him. I trust that God is not measuring my impact by numbers or applause. He's looking for obedience. And where he leads, I'll go. Even when I'm unsure, even when I'm unseen, even when I'm tired. And if all of this, this mic, this message, this moment, only reaches one person who wakes up to the gift God has placed inside them, then that's enough. So friends, keep going. Not because you have it all figured out, but because we can know the one who does. As for me and my home, we will serve the Lord. Wherever He leads, I'll go. If this episode spoke to you, will you let me know? I'd love to hear what your spiritual gift is and how you're living that out. So just comment on this episode's post on social media, share the episode, even leave a review. And if you want a resource on discovering your spiritual gift, check out the show notes. I've got some great tools linked in there. Until next time, keep intentionally living your life full of purpose. And keep your eyes on the one who has called you to it, will equip you for it, and can use it all for his glory and your good. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life. I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring, and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review, or better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at polykirby.com. That's H O L L Y C U R B Y dot com. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.