Carmen Joy Imes was about 13 years old. She'd taken tests before, but none quite like the one that sat on the desk before her. The bubbles Imes filled in with her No. 2 pencil weren't going to lead to a letter grade. Instead, they were going to illuminate her spiritual gifts.
When the test was over, Imes "stared at the results with a mixture of pride and trembling. The gift of teaching came out strong. Giving scored high, too. The gift of mercy barely registered, which felt a bit embarrassing."
Now, three decades later, Imes says that the results were pretty right on, especially when it comes to teaching. But she's not so sure the test itself was a great tool. "Its individualistic approach to spiritual gifts," she writes at CT, "misses the mark."
Imes explains that the spiritual gifts come from collective stewardship among the body of Christ. "I wonder if our spiritual-gifts assessments and personality tests might limit us to our comfort zones when we could be meant for more," she wonders.
While quizzes and profiles can be fun, and even insightful, they are limited in what they can tell us about who we are. May we seek out loving communities with fellow believers who help us see, name, and cultivate our gifts as we use them to serve one another.
They say the Devil’s in the details, but when conspiracies captivate our imaginations, we often overlook the real devils walking among us. From the creators of the hit podcast The…
This first issue of 2025 exemplifies how reading creates community, grows empathy, gives words to the unnamable, and reminds us that our identities and relationships proceed from the Word of God and the Word made flesh. In this issue, you’ll read about the importance of a book club from Russell Moore and a meditation on the bookends of a life by Jen Wilkin. Mark Meynell writes about the present-day impact of a C. S. Lewis sermon in Ukraine, and Emily Belz reports on how churches care for endangered languages in New York City. Poet Malcolm Guite regales us with literary depth. And we hope you’ll pick up a copy of one of our CT Book Award winners or finalists. Happy reading!
CT’s weekly newsletter highlighting the voices of women writers. We report on the news and give our opinion on topics such as church, family, sexuality, discipleship, pop culture, and more!
Delivered free via email to subscribers weekly. Sign up for this newsletter.
You are currently subscribed as npxlpxnaph@nie.podam.pl. Sign up to more newsletters like this. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe.
Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
"Christianity Today" and "CT" are the registered trademarks of Christianity Today International.
