HOW DO PRIMARY ROLES DIFFER FROM SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
A. Primary roles should not be confused with spiritual gifts.
The nature and proper use of spiritual gifts are clearly laid out in the New Testament.
In contrast, what we understand about primary roles is deduced from observing how people interact in life and throughout the whole of Scripture. The examples are everywhere to be found in the Bible, from the obscure to the well known.
- Bezalel, a Specialist, is one of the master craftsmen who worked on the ark of the covenant. (see Exodus 31)
- Ezra, a Teacher, is known for his ability to teach the Law. (see Ezra 7)
- Lydia, a Seller, is a God-fearing woman who sells purple cloth. (see Acts 15)
- James, a Group Arbitrator, brings harmony between disputing factions at the Council at Jerusalem. (see Acts 15)
B. Each person is acting out of an innate, God-given ability that we observe as a primary role.
Another way in which primary roles differ from spiritual gifts is that the discernment of a spiritual gift is more clear-cut. Over time, most individuals can say with some assurance, I have the gift of teaching
or I don't have the gift of teaching.
Primary roles, however, tend to be more a question of degree, as though we were viewing them on a continuum. At various times during our lives, each of us has functioned in all of the roles to some degree. It is important to understand what our primary roles are so that we do not invest large quantities of time and energy in roles where we are unknowingly weak.
There is an interaction between spiritual gifts and primary roles in that the presence of a spiritual gift can sometimes be observed within a primary role—for example, a recruiter with the gift of evangelism, or an organizer who is gifted in administration, or a group arbitrator who has the gift of discernment.
In sum, while there is some overlap between spiritual gifts and primary roles, they are fundamentally different.
HOW CAN UNDERSTANDING MY PRIMARY ROLES BENEFIT ME?
There are three benefits, in particular, to learning more about the primary roles you were designed to fulfill. By discovering your primary roles:
- You will know where you fit in an endeavor. You can pinpoint the place where you can make your greatest contribution.
- You will know how to evaluate, on a knowledgeable basis, the opportunities before you. It will become apparent which roles you may be doing too much or too little of.
- You will have a basis for appreciating others' abilities and roles. Sometimes it is as important to recognize what you cannot do as it is to know what you can do, and this knowledge can be an invaluable resource to you when working with others in a team effort
