Spiritual Gifts Survey - Motivational Scores

The perceiver views people or situations as either in the will of God or out of the will of
God. There is no such thing as sort of in the will of God or partly in the will of God, for in
his or her understanding to be not perfectly in God's will is to be out of God's will.
Perceivers see life as a matter of choices. They view the option to choose right as
imperative: not to choose right is by default choosing wrong. Compromise is not an
option.
They have intense hatred for evil. They want to see evil overcome and eliminated and
the Kingdom of God evidenced here on this earth.
A biblical figure with the gift of perception is John the Baptist. From the beginning of his
public ministry he exposed evil, identifying with and expressing God's hatred of it. He
publicly denounced Herod's adulterous relationship with his brother's wife, even when it
meant prison and death.
Spokesmen for righteousness and just causes are frequently perceivers. Their
giftedness equips them to be bold and outspoken without regard for either public
esteem or their own advantage.

Perceivers make decisions easily. They form quick evaluations. They see things as right
or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, true or false. They don't see how there can be
anything in between. They tend to answer yes or no. They seldom say maybe. They are
people of extremes in feelings, words and actions.
Most of us think in terms of a scale from black through many shades of gray to white.
We could say, �I'm not doing as well as I might, but at least I'm doing better than I did
yesterday.� Not so the perceiver. No halfway measures.

It's easy for perceivers to "get the feel" of individuals and groups-not by any outward
analysis, but by the intuitive perception that is their gift.
John the Baptist did not need to ask questions of the group of Pharisees that came out
to watch him baptize. "You brood of vipers!" he accosted them (Matthew 3:7, NASS).
John knew that the Pharisees had not come to repent but rather to judge, criticize and
condemn.
A perceiver can go into a church, a prayer group, a healing service or any group for that
matter, and soon tell how spiritual it really is. He or she also has keen sensitivity to what
is going on in an individual's life.
It's not that perceivers know everything about a person; God shows them only what He
wants them to see-and always for a purpose, usually so that the perceiver can
effectively pray for that person.

After challenging the spirituality of the Pharisees and Sadducees, John the Baptist went
on to say, "Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your
change of heart]" (Matthew 3:8}. John was well aware of these "religious" individuals'
claims to be spiritual leaders, but he was also aware of their hypocrisy. John knew that
only a genuine and evident change in their behavior would prove the inward condition of
a repentant heart.
We do a lot of personal counseling and have learned to observe the fruit in a person's
life in order to help diagnose underlying problems. Evidence of bad fruit means bad
roots. We pray for the exposure of the cause of those bad roots, help the person identify
all of the hatred and judgment against the one who hurt him or her and then help the
person repent of it. If there is genuine repentance there is a change of heart, and his or
her life begins to bear good fruit.

Most of us avoid problems. We do not view trials as friends or see trauma and tragedy
as stepping-stones to maturity. Not so the perceivers! They rejoice in negative events as
being the greatest opportunities to work brokenness and consequent maturity into their
lives.
By brokenness we mean that experience of once again coming to the end of ourselves,
where we say, "God, I can't handle this. I can't do anything without You. Help, Lord!"
Then we are ready to receive His help and grow.
Perceiver, prophet and author John Sandford says that two-word cry is the most
spiritual prayer a person can utter.
Perceivers welcome the difficulties that press a person into brokenness because they
feel it to mean God loves them enough to deal with another area of their lives.
It seems God sifts and sifts the perceivers. He wants to do a thorough and deep work in
them so they will be tools well-fitted for accomplishing His purposes here on earth.
Perceivers also rejoice to see evidence of brokenness and growth in others. Have you
ever shared a difficult thing you were going through with a perceiver only to have him
exclaim, "Praise the Lord! I know God's going to bring forth some great things in your life
through this.�
And you say, "Thanks a lot!" That was not what you wanted to hear; you wanted some
sympathy. You won't get it from a perceiver! These people know that difficulties and
brokenness not only do them good- they do you good, too.

Often perceivers go through childhood with only one or two good friends-or none at all.
Some worry about this, wondering why they don't want to reach out more to kids their
own age. Others instinctively know that it's okay-that God made them this way. They feel
comfortable in their aloneness.
Most often it's the parents of the perceiver who get overly concerned, feeling that the
child should be friendlier and more involved with others.
Just as the Levites were uniquely set apart from the rest of the twelve tribes of Israel to
minister to the Lord in the Temple, so, we believe, perceivers have been called apart to
spend much time in prayer, to bring God's Word to the Body of Christ and to uphold
God's highest standards. They will not have the luxury of broad friendships for several
reasons:
� Time for friendships is limited since their call to a ministry of prayer requires a
significant time commitment.
� Broad friendships require a degree of tolerance for people with differing
standards and beliefs. Perceivers do not want to compromise.
� God's gifting draws the perceivers to enjoy being "alone with Him:'

Perceivers are in the Word a lot. They love to study the Bible and find that God often
speaks to them through specific Scriptures. They believe there isn't any other
dependable basis for truth but the Bible.
John the Baptist's call was based on the Word of God. He knew Isaiah 40:3 well, and
that his was the long-awaited voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Desiring to assure John that He was indeed the Christ, Jesus said to the Baptist's
disciples, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the
poor have the good news (the Gospel) preached to them" (Luke 7:22).
John saw the scriptural evidence in that answer, since he knew the prophecies about
the Messiah and what he would do.
Perceivers also depend on the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word.

From the Bible, perceivers are able to extract principles that they apply to daily life. In
fact, they are often very demanding of themselves about this. Children who have this gift
are incredibly strict with themselves. They usually develop into the kind of teenagers
who don't have to have parental restrictions imposed on them because they are already
setting their own high standards.
The perceiver is a person of principle in all aspects of life: the way he runs his home,
business and personal relationships. Perceivers are truly the standard-bearers of
Christianity. They are the ones who hold up God's righteousness and say, "This is what
we ought to aim for!" If there weren't any perceivers many of us would settle for less. We
need these people in the Body of Christ.

This characteristic sometimes gets perceivers into trouble. One woman who came to
work at the Aglow International office had this gift but didn't know it. She was a fairly
new Christian who was always criticizing people and telling them what she thought. It
wasn't long before most of the people at the Aglow office were upset with her-as her
schoolmates and associates had been, all her life.
I started teaching the motivational gift seminar during Carol's third week there. She
came up after the very first session and said, "Katie, I know my gift already! For the first
time ever I feel I can begin to understand and accept myself�, she added, brushing away
the tears.
I shared with Carol how perceivers are allowed to see many things that are out of God's
will, but that God's plan for them is usually to pray about it, not to talk about it or
confront it.
I saw Carol change into an increasingly sensitive Christian. She has learned how to
mitigate her frankness.
We have found that a mature perceiver is the most exciting person in the world to be
around. You can count on his or her being honest, upfront and candid-yet guided by
wisdom and love. They are so transparent. They never beat around the bush.
John the Baptist is again a good example. He warned of judgment. He told selfish
people to share. He told tax collectors to be honest and soldiers not to misuse authority.
And so electrifying were his words that thousands flocked to the wilderness to hear him.

Perceivers' persuasiveness stems from the fact that they have such strong convictions
about everything. Things are either right or wrong and they will speak out accordingly.

"20 Characteristics of the Giver
Of all the seven motivational gifts, this is the one least likely to be identified by the one who
has it. Part of the reason may be that the giver's ""left hand"" does not know when his ""right
hand"" gives alms (see Matthew 6:3). Another may be the giver's ""all-around"" personality.
The giver shares several traits of the server, can be a leader or a follower and has a love for
the Word of God like the perceiver and the teacher. But when it comes to the use of
resources, the giver is unique.
The Greek word is metadidomi (distinct from didomi,""to give"") meaning ""to give over,
share or impart.� It is to be done with haplotypes- simplicity, sincerity and liberality.
"

All of us have blind spots. That's what Jesus was talking about when He asked:
�Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to
the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take the
speck out of your eye;' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?� (Luke
6:41- 42, NIV)
That plank is our blind spot. When we are ready for God to deal with us in the area of
our blind spots, we can do nothing better than find a friend with the gift of perception
and request his or her discernment.

Perceivers discern God's plan and will never let personal desires get in the way of that
plan for themselves or others. When a perceiver counsels another person, a
characteristic phrase is: "You need to let go of your plans and discover what God's plan
is for your life.�
When working with an organization, the perceiver will encourage the individuals in it to
sacrifice their own ideas and desires for the good of God's plan for the group.
Often, perceivers are given insights, visions and revelations so that they will know God's
will on a matter. Simeon was a devout man, rigorously observing the Law while he
waited for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit revealed to this perceiver that he should not see
death before he had seen the Lord's Anointed.
How excited Simeon must have been to be let into the very heart of God's plan!

Perceivers want to see spiritual growth. They view themselves as ever growing and are
eager to help others grow, too.
A perceiver/evangelist ministering in Africa trains young men for mature ministry of their
own. As he puts it, �It's the way to multiply the ministry. As I help them grow, the Gospel
is spread more widely and effectively.�
Perceivers view the spiritual growth of groups as the product of positive changes in
individuals. Just as the weakest link in a chain determines the strength of that chain, so
they see that in a group the person who is weakest spiritually limits the whole group's
effectiveness.
Therefore, the perceiver realizes that he or she has to work on a one- on-one basis,
helping individual members in order to see the whole group become stronger.

This is perhaps the most important characteristic of the perceiver. We have yet to find
an adult Christian with the gift of perception who has not been called to intercession. We
have found a few who have not yet taken the time to listen to discover if they are so
called. But the call is there-it's just a matter of tuning in to hear it.
Most perceivers are aware of the importance of intercession. They have an innate sense
that it is the most important aspect of their life and ministry. They realize that "mountains
are moved" and more can be accomplished through prayer than any other way.
Perceivers "see" many things that are not in God's will. They may be given revelations
about other people's problems and needs. If they don't take it to prayer they can
become negative criticizers or obnoxious meddlers. God's purpose in giving them
insight is so that they can intercede effectively.
Perceivers are key people in prayer groups. They motivate others to pray. They have
the most powerful prayer ministries of all seven gifts. (The giver and the person of
compassion are also especially effective in this area-but with different emphases.)
Perceivers often fast along with their ministry of intercession.

Hosea is a biblical example. Remember how he took a harlot for his wife, to demonstrate
Israel's faithlessness? Hosea heard the Lord say, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry
and have children of [her] harlotry, for the land commits great whoredom by departing
from the Lord" (Hosea 1:2).
It was a pretty dramatic move but it got the nation's attention. And when his wife, Gomer,
left him to return to prostitution, Hosea sought after her, to demonstrate how God will go
out of His way to seek those who have turned their backs on Him.
Sometimes perceivers will use the stage as a vehicle for getting across the message of
God. We find that these people are often drawn into the field of drama. It enables people
with this giftedness to graphically present what God wants communicated.
The perceiver may have a dramatic flair for illustrating God's truth when teaching,
preaching or just talking.
Many Old Testament prophets also had a dramatic flair. Some dressed in sackcloth and
ashes when they wanted people to repent. Elisha told leprous Naaman to dip seven
times in the Jordan River. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Nathan used a dramatic
story of a poor man with only one lamb to touch David's conscience.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist dressed in rough garments of camel's hair and
ate insects and wild honey. A prophet named Agabus warned Paul of impending
imprisonment by taking off Paul's belt, binding his own hands and feet, and saying, "The
Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and
will hand him over to the Gentiles'" (Acts 21:11, NIV). Jesus rode a donkey into
Jerusalem in an enactment of ancient prophecy.

Perceivers know the meaning of the Scripture "Search me [thoroughly], o God, and
know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).
Getting rid of imperfections is a top priority for perceivers. They want God to bring forth
that pure gold in their lives, to refine them and make them what He wants them to be.
Therefore, they are not afraid to look within and identify those things with which they
need to deal. They know the importance of pure motives prompted by the Holy Spirit
and not the desires of the flesh.

Perceivers have an opinion on just about everything. And if you happen to bring up a
subject they have never thought about-guess what? They form an opinion on the spot!
Fortunately, perceivers usually seek God's help in forming their convictions; thus the
perceiver's opinion often carries with it the ring of truth.
But perceivers don't necessarily present their opinions gently. They can be the
proverbial "bull in the china shop" and leave a trail of destruction behind them.

Perceivers are never satisfied with less than their best effort. Unless they are out of
fellowship with God, they have impeccable morals. Even teenagers with this gift will
seldom compromise their standards. In fact, they are usually more strict with themselves
than their parents are with them. Perceivers are honest. Integrity is their word.

Perceivers recognize the importance of obedience. The opposite, in their estimation, is
rebellion a sin described in the Old Testament "as the sin of witchcraft" (1 Samuel 15:23,
KJV).
One perceiver did a study of obedience in the Bible. In her words,
I became aware that being obedient to God (l Peter 1:14) also meant that I was to be
respectful to and obedient to others. Starting with Jesus, I am not only to obey Him in
everything He tells me to do (James 1:22), I must also bring every thought into
obedience to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5). Then I saw that I must be obedient to secular
rulers (Titus 3:1), to leaders (2 Corinthians 2:9) , to my parents (Colossians 3:20), to
my husband (Ephesians 5:22) and even to my employer (Ephesians 6:5- 8). It's a big
order, but with His strength I can do it. Jesus is my pattern. He was obedient to God
in all things, even to His death on the cross.

Perceivers have what one of them calls "a severe case of foot-in-the-mouth disease.�
Jonah is the biblical example here. God told Jonah to go preach repentance to Nineveh.
Jonah didn't like the assignment because he knew they were wicked, and he couldn't
imagine how God could forgive them. So, he took off in the opposite direction.
You know the story. God appointed special transportation to get him to the right beach
at the right time. Jonah decided he'd better get on to Nineveh, where he did preach on
the need for repentance. And the people repented.
Well, Jonah hadn't counted on that. He had already judged these people in his own
heart and decided they deserved God's punishment. You see, he had a critical spirit. He
never got around to praying for Nineveh. Instead, he went up on the hillside and waited
for judgment to fall. When it didn't, he got angry, and God had to deal with Jonah's
judgmental attitude.
Perceivers will find that God will deal firmly, even sternly, in their lives if they don't learn
to pray more and criticize less. Prayer is the safeguard that prevents a perceiver from
developing a critical attitude. Perceivers are called to intercessory prayer. There are no
exceptions!
While in the natural world the shortest distance between two points is a straight line,
that's not true in the spiritual world. The shortest distance between you and another
person (especially a problem person) is a line of prayer straight up to God, trusting God
to deal with the person and the situation and to work out the solution to the problem.
You see, no one likes to be told by someone else that he or she should change. But
when you give the problem to God, He can speak directly to the person's heart. He can
surmount walls of resistance that we can't get past.
The only time a perceiver should confront someone is after praying about it, giving it to
God and receiving a direct instruction to do so. Even then, unless God first softens the
person's heart, the confrontation may not be well received. But the perceiver's job is not
to change others; he or she is only to deliver the message. It's the Holy Spirit's job to do
the convicting and changing.

The perceivers' desire is always to get themselves and others to that place of perfectly
following the will of God. They focus on the fact that Jesus said we are to "be perfect.�
When counseling, for instance, the perceiver may be so eager for the counselee to
come to perfection in Christ that expectations are too high. He or she pressures the
person to change-faster than is possible.
The perceiver needs to learn how to look at a step of progress as being valid in itself. He
or she needs to be able to say, �Hey, I'm really glad that you took this step this week.
That's good! Now, let's work on the next step.�

There's nothing wrong with wanting people to grow spiritually; the problem is the
pushiness.
Jill was thrilled when her husband finally committed his life to Jesus. But a polluted
perceiver gift caused her to try to push him into spiritual growth. She would insist that he
be at church every time the doors opened. She laid out "the right books" for him to read.
And she let him know every time he did something that wasn't �Christian.�
Of course, it backfired. He dug in his heels and refused to have anything more to do with
�that religious stuff.�

Perceivers are always convinced that their views are right - and most often they are. But
sometimes truth has various facets to it. The perceiver may see one facet of a truth
while those with different motivational gifts see other facets. Get all the facets together
and you see the whole. Perceivers need to learn to value an encompassing perspective.

Since perceivers have such an inner drive to do what is right, and since they are
introspective and readily aware of their own shortcomings, they are quick to judge
themselves as inadequate.
Of all the motivational gifts, these people seem most relieved when they discover that
the things they've wrestled with internally are indicative of divinely ordained giftedness
rather than a testimony to shortcomings and failures. It is not at all unusual for
perceivers to come to us at the close of a seminar to tell us how thrilled they are to know
that who and what they are is part of God's plan.
So many are bound up in self-condemnation and self-rejection because they don't
understand their giftedness. If you know any perceivers, please share this good news
with them!

A server can spot a need a mile away. It's as though he or she has built in radar geared
to others' necessities, and high motivation to do something about those needs.
You can spot these servers easily at a church potluck dinner. Check who is regularly out
in the kitchen making the preparations or setting up tables and chairs or doing the
clean up afterward.
During youth meetings, study groups, potlucks, etc. We used to wonder why some of
the people quickly migrated to the kitchen to help while others stayed in the living room
to chat. It's the natural inclination of servers to help in that way. The important thing is
that servers enjoy doing it.

Of all the motivational gifts, it is the servers who have the greatest dexterity, the ability to
work well with their hands. That's why we call them the hands of the Body. They can do
just about anything that involves manual skill: artistic endeavors, repairs, carpentry,
plumbing, electrical work, sewing, cooking or gardening.

Servers cannot stand clutter, dirt or disorganization. Some people with this gift often
dust every day. There are no dirty dishes left in their sinks, their laundry is folded and
put away the day it is washed and the beds are made before nine A.M. You can drop in
on them at any time of the day and the house will be ready for company. They also keep
their closets in order, their socks never get thrown in the shirt drawer, you can always
see the top of their desk and every tool is hanging on the right hook on the pegboard.
What's more, the lawn is mowed on schedule and weeds don't have a chance to grow in
the flowerbeds.

Servers have a computer-type memory for details. They can remember where they filed
away an article, they clipped out of the newspaper three years ago. They remember that
you like cream in your coffee, but not sugar. They remember all the birthdays on both
sides of the family (and remember to send cards) and they can relate an episode from
the thirteenth chapter of the book they read last week with amazing accuracy.

When the pastor announces that a place is needed for the visiting missionary, it will
likely be the servers who offer their homes first. They love to entertain people. They look
for opportunities to invite others over for dinner or dessert, and they do a terrific job of
making their guests feel welcome.

Servers finish what they start. They have wonderful stick-to-itiveness. When they say
they will do something they will do it. The only thing that produces frustration is when
you give them something to do in too short a time. You see, they not only want to finish
a task, but they also want to do it well.

Because servers are naturally geared to be helpful, and because they know that they
are good at it, it is difficult for them to turn down a request for help. As a result, they
tend to get overinvolved. Even a simple question like, "Do you know what to use for a
clogged drain?" will elicit a response like, "Let me come over and look at it'.' Before he
or she has time to think, the server is under the person's sink with wrench in hand and
the drain apart.

Servers are such caring people. When we were in New Zealand we stayed for a week
with a lovely Christian family. Two of the Eynons' four girls were still at home: Greta,
eighteen, and Aly, sixteen.
We were struck by how much Greta seemed to enjoy preparing meals.
�Mum�, she'd say, �let me fix the dinner. You spend time with the Fortunes.� She'd put
on a beautiful meal and when her mother would get up to clear the table Greta would
say to her, "No, you stay there and talk, I'll take care of the dishes.�
Aly would take a few dishes to the kitchen, then say, "Please excuse me but I've got to
run. I'm setting up the school's talent show and we've got a meeting tonight.�
A similar scene would take place each evening with Greta serving dinner and doing the
dishes and Aly running off to organize something else. Their parents worried about the
situation. They felt that Aly was running out on domestic responsibilities while Greta was
overly conscientious around the house. They wished Greta would have more outside
interests.
We were able to help them to see that Greta was a server and Aly an administrator. It
was predictable that Aly's interests would lean toward group involvement while Greta's
giftedness would cause her to focus on meeting other people's needs even to the
neglect of her own. We encouraged the parents to let Greta concentrate on the
domestic needs of the family for the time being, for that was bringing her joy.

Servers prefer short-term projects. They like something that takes two hours better than
something that takes two weeks and prefer a two-week or two-month project to a two year project. They enjoy something they can get their teeth into and finish in a
foreseeable amount of time. They leave long-range goals to the administrators.
A server would enjoy providing food for the family of a woman who is temporarily in the
hospital but would not necessarily want to take on that kind of service on an ongoing
basis. He or she would be glad to work one day a week at the food bank but would not
want to manage the project.

Servers believe actions speak louder than words. They express their love by what they
do.
One server said to us, "It's easy to say, �I love you, but the other person
may never really know if you mean it. I believe that when I do something for someone,
he knows how I feel�.

It's not that servers serve in order to be praised, but appreciation assures them that
they've done well. It builds up a positive self-image. It is the culmination of their joy in
serving.
In the early days of Aglow magazine, we were entirely a volunteer staff.

Servers so enjoy the doing that they often don't want to stop.
When Berta gave birth to twins, the family had five children under the age of six. Her
server mother-in-law told her she would be glad to keep all five of their baby books up
to date. Berta was delighted because she'd only had time to throw items into a box.

Don's mother was a classic server. Every time she came to our home for dinner, the first
thing she would ask as she came in the kitchen door was, "What can I do to help you?"
Now I do just fine in the kitchen if people leave me alone to concentrate. So, my usual
answer to her was, "Nothing, thanks, I've got everything under control.�
One Thanksgiving she arrived a whole hour early. I had been working on the dinner
since eight that morning and had timed everything to finish just on schedule. "I came
early to see if I could help you;' she offered.
"Thanks anyway;' I responded. "Everything's under way:'
I could tell she was disappointed as she sat down at the kitchen table to watch me work.
She began to talk, and the distraction was more than I could handle. "Why don't you go
and chat with Don awhile?" I suggested.
She found Don deeply engrossed in the Thanksgiving Day football game on TV. The
boys were also watching the game. Meanwhile in the kitchen the Lord spoke to me:
�Katie, you are being selfish.�
�How?� I asked with astonishment.
�You're so busy functioning in your gift that you are not making room for your mother-in
-law's gift.�
The words cut deeply into my heart. I was being selfish. She wanted to help and I
wouldn't let her. That was downright unkind of me. I realized I needed to do something
about it. I called into the rec room. "Mother, I could use your help now!"
She was there in a flash, her face bright. "Could you make the tossed salad?" I asked.
"I'd love to�.

Servers are not leaders; they are followers. God made them that way. lf a leadership
position is forced on them they are frustrated.
It is tempting to turn leadership over to servers. Because they do such a good job at
whatever they do, it may seem that they are the natural ones to take charge. But when
this happens, they lose their joy. They've been placed in a situation for which they are
not equipped. The result is frustration for them, and probably (eventually) frustration for
those they try to lead.

Servers have one speed: fast forward.
They seem to have boundless energy. First Peter 4:11 urges them to serve "with the
strength which God furnishes abundantly:' And indeed servers seem to have unusual
endurance and often get by with less sleep than the average person.
We can only surmise that God has endowed servers with all this energy because they
are the doers and there's so much that needs to be done.

We've heard servers say things like, "I can't leave the office until my desk is clear�, or
�It's only after I have the house picked up that I can sit down and watch television�, or �I
can't stand to go over to my neighbor's house. I feel like I want to dig in and put things
away, but I don't think she'd appreciate it�.
Servers are the ones who straighten crooked picture frames on your walls.

Whatever servers do they want to do well. They want things to be just right and are
willing to work toward that end. For other gifts perfectionism could be a sign of abnormal
behavior. But the server has been created a perfectionist for God's purposes. Someone
in the Body of Christ needs to exhibit this trait in a positive and balanced way.

One server said to us, as he was stacking up the chairs after a meeting at church, "I just
can't understand why the other men don't chip in and help.�
Serving seems to the server to be the essence of Christianity. To him or her, the rest is
mere words. Certainly, Jesus' example and teaching on the importance of having a
servant's heart reinforces his or her conviction that serving is the greatest activity of all.
But servers need to be careful not to insist that others feel the same way. Each gift
thinks its type of functioning is the most important of all.

Not only do servers prefer to do the job themselves, but they also have a sense of guilt
when they don't. One man said, �I find it very hard to delegate messy or menial types of
work to my kids. I generally end up doing those jobs myself.�

Servers make wonderful secretaries, vice presidents or committee members. They have
incredible loyalty to those they serve under. It is not unusual for a server to burn the
midnight oil to bring a project to culmination. Servers want to see those they support
succeed.

The classic example is Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. In Luke 10:38-42 we see
Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to His teaching. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen,
Martha is preparing food to serve their hungry guests. To her, Mary's obliviousness to a
practical need is incomprehensible.
But Martha (overly occupied and too busy) was distracted with much serving; and she
came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Tell her then to help me to lend a hand and do her part along with me. Luke
10:40
To Martha, getting that meal ready is the most important thing in the world. Jesus loves
the server gift in her, of course, but also identifies the servers' problem and speaks
kindly correction. It is always a temptation for servers to feel put upon by those who
ignore "obvious" practical needs.

The typical example is that of a server who so enjoys helping out the neighbors that he
never has time to fix things around his own house. Then there's the example of a server
who does so much volunteer work that soon the laundry is stacking up and dinners are
getting later.
It is helpful for servers to be reminded of healthy priorities.

Servers can sometimes "help" where help is not wanted.
One time we had a server who wanted to be helpful all the time stay at our home for two
weeks. She would become restless if her hands were not busy, so she'd do things
without asking.
Sometimes it was helpful, other times it created more work.

Because servers so love to do the serving, they can feel awkward when someone else
serves them. But the fact is they need to learn to receive as well as give. Otherwise, they
rob others of the joy of serving.

The need for appreciation is so deeply built into the server that some hurt is almost
inevitable.
We find it's important to look to the Lord for appreciation . He always gives it even when
others don't. Let His love and appreciation be enough for you, and then if a person
thanks you, too, that's the frosting on the cake! Keep on serving!
If you know any servers, appreciate them. They'll love you for it.

Looking back over school days you can always tell the teachers who had this gift because
their lectures were in outline form: points I, 2, 3, a, b, c. The procedures were systematic. It
was easy to take notes.
Derek Prince, renowned author and scholar, is a classic example of a person with the motivational gift Of teaching. We have file folders full Of notes taken at his lectures. The
notes are rich in facts, Scriptures, and conclusions, all nicely organized by virtue of the fact
that Derek speaks that way. It's easy to look up information from these notes since they are
so logically arranged.
We will find that exhorters are actually the most interesting and popular teachers, but
they may teach for an hour and make only one significant point. You'll have hardly any
notes�and those not in any particular sequence.

A family in our church recently got a ferret for a pet. He's an animal who seems to be
actively looking for something all the time�in comers, under chairs, in jackets. The word
"ferret" has come to mean fo search cut, and that is what the teacher is doing all the time,
ferreting out the truth.
Teachers want to be sure that what they believe and accept is based on fact. This was the
case with doubting Thomas. Being motivated by his teaching gift he did not want to trust
What he heard about Jesus' resurrection and so it was natural for him to respond:
. Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the
place of the nails, and put my hands into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25, NAS).
However, when Jesus did appear to him eight days later, Thomas could only respond,
"My Lord and my God!" (verse 28).
If you have the motivational gift Of teaching you have probably been called a "doubting
Thomas" from time to time. Count it an honore You were designed by God to investigate
the facts and you are doing a good enough job of it that others are noticing it. That's great!
Don calls teachers "spiritual detectives." Perhaps that's why so many teachers love to
read mystery stories. They are armchair detectives at heart.

Since this is my secondary gift I can relate thoroughly to this characteristic. I love to re-
search!
When our boys were pre-school ages I wanted to be at home, but there were spare hours
in my day. So I began to do freelance writing of junior high Sunday school materials for
both the David C. Cook Company and Union Gospel Press. They would send me the assignments and I would get out my commentaries and concordances and begin to research
the Scripture. I'd often spend up to twenty hours on one lesson.
"Why do you spend so much time on that research?' Don would ask "Couldn't you cut
it down a bit?"
The thought horrified me. What if I didn't look into the subject thoroughly enough and

Teachers are fascinated with words. They like to investigate the root meanings, and the
Greek or Hebrew counterparts. They see words as the building blocks Of communication.
They want to use words well, and correctly.
They will Often check out a word in a reference like W. E. Vine's An Expository Dictionary
of New Testament Words to determine the precise meaning of the Greek original They also
enjoy topical studies with aids like Nave's Topical Bible or Harper's Topical Concordance.
Sometimes the study of just one word will lead the teacher into hours of pursuit as one
insight leads to another.
When Dick Mills teaches he Often will take a single verse of Scripture and spend time
explaining the facets of meaning of each major word in it, quoting a variety of authorities.
The verse comes alive.

The Bible is the ultimate authority to the teacher. Even if he does not understand a particular verse, he believes that it is his own lack of knowledge, not the Scripture passage,
that is the problem. It is a source Of new understanding yet to be discovered- Teachers quote liberally from the Bible, often using stories, parables, or characters to
prove or illustrate a point. They can trust this source.
Life illustrations are another matter; they are by their very nature subjective. They are
not, in the teacher's estimation, a reliable rock upon which to build.
A teacher may use personal anecdotes to enhance a point, but only after the point is well
illustrated by Scripture.
I find that this is my tendency. For instance, when I developed a teaching on the subject
of anger I first studied what the Bible had to say about it in these passages:
Jesus teaches about it in Matthew
Paul warns against it in Ephesians 4:26�27.
It was Cain's main problem in Genesis
It was Jonah's problem in Jonah 4:1-9.
Only then did I add to this what I had learned experientially about anger through the
counseling I had done.

Wow! Does this unpardonable action ever drive the teacher up the wall! To him it is like
fingernails across a chalkboard. He is so concerned for the integrity of teaching�be it
spoken or written�that he cannot help but lose confidence in the person who proof-texts a
point with disregard of the true sense of a passage.
One popular traveling teacher was the rave of many in conferences and camps in recent
years. He was clever and dramatic in his presentations, keeping his audiences captivated
for the most part, except for those with the motivational gift of teaching. When others
would leave a session saying, "Wasn't that wonderful!" the teachers would reply, "Not
really."
The problem was that the speaker, being blessed with the motivational gift Of exhortation, would set out to prove a point and tag on several Scriptures to give it validity. The
point itself was usually well-taken but the Scriptures quoted in that context might not be at
all what the biblical writer meant by them. It would have been better to have used no
Scriptures at all than to use ones lifted out of context. We noticed that those with the
teaching gift quit going to his meetings.
The teacher views misuse as abuse.

Whether it's in business, education, religion, human relationships, or any other area of
life, teachers want truth to prevail. It is the foundation, the anchor, the framework within
which they can securely work. The Berean believers must have had many people with the motivational gift of teaching
among them for they checked out carefully what Paul said every day to be sure that it lined
up with the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures (see Acts 17:11).
Aquila and Priscilla, both teachers by motivational gift, welcomed Apollos who was also
a teacher. But they could see that he was operating on limited knowledge Of the Gospel and
were quick to instruct him "more perfectly in the way of the Lord" (Acts 18:26). With truth
fully established in him, Apollos was then able to go to Greece and confound the intellectuals Of that day.

In general men tend to be more objective, women more subjective. There are, of course,
exceptions. But when a man has the motivational gift of teaching we see the most objective
type of person of all. Such men often become research scientists, business analysts, or
judges.
Women with the motivational gift Of teaching go into similar fields. And it is not unusual for them to hear a shrouded compliment like, "For a woman you are amazingly objective."
Teachers look at life with a certain detachment. They participate, but without their
emotions getting in the way. This works as a sort of insulation factor that keeps them from
being hurt or emotionally wounded.
Eighteen-year-old Erin. the third of four sisters, attended one of our seminars in her
Baptist church. At one point she came to us to share some interesting insights.
"It's been invaluable to discover that my motivational gift is teaching" she told us. "I've
always wondered why I could be so detached and objective. Now I see why.
"My parents fight like cats and dogs," she went on. "They love each other, but the fights
get pretty bad. My two older sisters couldn't handle it and they both left home when they
were sixteen. They're still working through a lot of emotional damage. Now I see that they
both have the gift of compassion. They've felt the tension and hurt much more than I ever
have.
' 'My viewpoint has been, if they want to fight that's their business, but I'm not going to
waste my time listening to it. So I just go into my bedroom and read a good book."

Teachers use words well and are fond of learning new ones. Even as children they enjoy
word games�Scrabble, Boggle, crossword puzzles. They are good communicators, often
commanding in their speech and sometimes eloquent.
Several years ago I was one of the speakers at the Billy Graham Writers' Conference in Calgary, Canada. The banquet speaker was Philip Yancey, author of many books including
Where Is Gou When It Hurts His speech was marvelous- Eloquent! Polished! As an editor I
mused that it would be almost possible to take a transcript of what he said and print it
without any editing at all.
Later that evening I was talking with Philip. "Your speech was magnificent," I told him.
"How long did it take you to prepare it?" I assumed he had worked on it for weeks.
"Well." he confided, "to tell you the truth I put it together on the flight up here this
morning. Basically I just jotted some notes on the back of an envelope."
As we talked a bit more I realized that he spoke eloquently ah' the time. Even his casual
conversation was polished and impressive. Obviously his motivational gift was that of Teacher.

Teachers are not so interested in opinions; they want facts. Facts are the building blocks
of their lives. This coupled with their ability to use words well and accurately, and their
exceptional objectivity, all work together to make them gifted in editorial work. They
make great copy editors. Like the homing pigeon they readily find their target: misspelled
words, improper grammar, or inadequate vocabulary.
My Aunt Aleda was one so gifted. much to my dismay as a child. Through my mother's
urging I wrote to Aunt Aleda regularly. But she always returned my letters�edited! She'd
circle misspelled words and tell me to look them up. She'd correct my grammar, even diagramming sentences to reinforce what I was obviously not leaming adequately in school.
Needless to say I did not relish the returned epistles. But looking back now, I'm glad she
took the time and interest to use her giftedness for my benefit.
In Japan our missionary friend Noel Morris is likewise gifted. Coupled with the detailedness of his serving gift his teaching gift makes him meticulous in editing skills. WhiLe
his main ministry is managing the largest Christian tape loan library in Japan, he helps to
support himself and his wife by editing English manuscripts written by Japanese.

Whenever we teach a motivational gift seminar it is the teachers who come up to us at
the close Of the session to say, "Now where did you get all this information?" This has
happened so Often that now we usually include an explanation in the presentation itself.
Teachers are the ones most apt to ask: who, what, where, when and how come? In a
young person this can come across as rude or impudent.
Such was the case with the fourteen-year-old grandson of friends of ours who were living in Munich, Germany. They had invited their grandson to come and live with them for a
while and go to a German school. They had not bargained for an adolescent with the motivational gift of teaching nor did they recognize this as the cause of his incessant questioning.
"He must ask five hundred questions a day," Vi bemoaned. "Some that are none of his
"He follows me around asking why I do this and why I do that." Jim said. "And the
worst is that he's learned more German that we have, so he's always correcting us."
When we had the opportunity to meet the boy our suspicions were confirmed. He was a
teacher.
We were able to share with Vi and Jim that this was a giftedness that needed to be
channeled, not squelched. Just the simple awareness of their grandson's gift took a lot of
pressure off the situation.

When it comes to evangelism the teacher keeps a LOW profile. He Will lead people to
Jesus Christ, but usually in circumstances where he's already built a bridge of relationship
or friendship.
Aggressive types of evangelism are not appealing to the teacher. He is definitely not
drawn to street witnessing or door-to-door evangelism. But he's glad that others make
these efforts. And, once new people have been won to the Lord, the teacher will spend
endless hours joyfully teaching the new converts.
Julie Wayner, author Of His Gentle Voice, is just such a teacher. She confided, almost
rather die than go out door-to-door evangelizing. But give me a group Of new believers and
I'll commit all the time necessary to train them in the Word of God."
We saw her put this into action some years ago as she faithfully taught the Bible to a
group of women (mostly new believers) for six years. I was privileged to continue teaching
the group when Julie moved to Michigan and was greatly impressed with the maturity of
their faith and the extent of their Bible knowledge.
How fortunate it is that not every Christian is geared primarily to evangelism, for without people to teach the newly evangelized, the Body of Christ would not mature.

Teachers cannot imagine anything more important than studying the Bible. They believe
it is the foundation upon which all the gifts operate.
Their thinking goes like this: How can the perceiver perceive accurately unless he has a solid understanding of the
Bible?
How can the server serve well if he is not acquainted with the biblical reasons for ser-
vice?
How can the teacher teach unless he has studied the Scriptures thoroughly?
How can the exhorter exhort effectively unless he knows the biblical basis for his exhortation?
HOW can the giver give properly if he is not aware Of the biblical guidelines for giving?
How can the administrator be an effective leader unless he understands God's will as
revealed in the Word?
How can the compassionate person minister God's love if he does not encounter that
love in the Bible?
"Nothing." says the teacher. "is more foundational than studying the Bible!"

Teachers believe that there is an answer to every problem in God's Word, if not in actual
example or principle, at least by implication.
In her book Julie Wayner describes the problems and challenges she faced as she set out
to become a missionary to China. With the closing of that nation to the West, her love for a
young man committed to the South American mission field, and his subsequent engagement to another woman, she turned at each point to the Bible to give her the principles by
which to make decisions.
Julie told us, "I always looked first for the biblical principles that fit the situation. Then
secondly for the leading Of the Holy Spirit, and thirdly for the juxtaposition Of circumstances. If, for any reason, the Other two guidelines (as best I could interpret them) did not
line up with the first, then I always chose to abide by the biblical principles."

These are the ones you don't want to invite over to play Trivial Pursuit. They'll win for
sure.
The fact is that God has gifted these, the "mind" of the Body of Christ, with what they
need to be successful in their sphere�a high IQ. They are often brilliant. They were good
students in school, loved to study, were self-motivated, and often came home with straight
The teacher's mind can be likened to a thirsty sponge, soaking up everything it can. As a
result he's a prolific reader, drawn to books filled with facts and accurate information. He
has a good memory, especially for dates and history. When we went to New Zealand eight years ago we traveled around the South Island
with our dear friends Rita and Len Restall. Len is a schoolmaster with the motivational gift
of teaching. His reservoir of information constantly amazed us. Everywhere we went Len
would spontaneously spill out rich and interesting history about each New Zealand town.
Len was like a living, walking, and talking encyclopedia. Whenever we brought up a
new subject it was like pressing a computer button: out would come his amazing contribution of vast amounts of information to enhance our understanding.

Mix a good dose of seriousness with a lot of objectivity, add a love for truth and a keen
mind, and you have the ingredients for self-discipline.
Teachers can set goals and stick to them, set parameters and work effectively within
them, and project time schedules and abide by them.
One woman With this gift was amazing to watch in action. Her life was so self-regulated
that fellow workers could set their watches by the moment she walked in the office: always
at 8:30 A.M., never 8:29 or 8:31. She also exited at 4:30 on the nose! But while some chuckled at this, her punctuality set a good example of putting in a good day's work for a day's
wages.

Of all the motivational gifts this is the one that grants the greatest emotional equilibrium. Some people have emotional ups and downs that track like the pathway of a roller-
coaster ride. Others have smoother patterns of ups and downs with only occasional jolting
bumps. But the teacher's graph of mood swings looks more like a horizontal line.
Teachers are highly analytical. They believe reasonable choices can resolve potentially
volatile situations. When someone's upset, they may advise, "Calm down. You can, you
At one of our Prayer Counseling Training sessions we staged a little melodrama to illustrate just that point:
The scene is a home. Wife is stirring the pot, looking again and again at her watch. Furious looks flash across her face. Finally husband comes in the door, obviously late again. He
offers a weak excuse and his wife goes into a tirade of complaints about his inconsiderateness- He retaliates with complaints about her temper. The argument escalates, wife be-
coming all but hysterical with rage.
"Get control of yourself," husband demands.
"I can she screams.
Brrrrrring The telephone pierces the commotion.
Wife picks up the receiver. ' 'Hellooo," she calmly coos into the phone. ' 'Why Charlotte,
how good to hear from you. NO, I wasn't doing a thing. Yes, we're both fine. How about
you
On and on she goes. Completely in control.
The point is: It's not that she can't control her emotions when arguing with her husband.
she toon 't. It's a matter of choice.

Common interests seem to be the prerequisite for the development of close relationships. Teachers are seldom drawn into superficial friendships. They tend to be aloof or
uneasy in unstructured social situations and they hate meaningless chit chat. They prefer
friends with whom they can discuss ideas and concepts. Sometimes they are loners. More
often they are comfortable with just a few close friends.
Teachers Often tell us, "Some interaction with people is Okay, but, quite frankly, I'd just
as soon curl up with a good book." Books are often their "best friends."
Our niece. Gayle Hansen, is that way. We spent summers at our cabin on Puget Sound
right next door to my sister's cabin. From the time Gayle was old enough to read we noticed that she often preferred being inside, even on nice days, with her nose in a book, to
playing outside with the other kids. We often wondered why this attractive girl seemed so
antisocial. When we gave her the motivational gift test (in her teens) we were not surprised
that she came out teacher.
Recently she visited us from California. "i'm Still a bookworm, Aunt Katie," she said. "l
don't go out much. I like to tuck my son into bed early and spend the rest of the evening
with a good book."

Teachers have so many areas of interest. They willingly drop what they are doing to investigate a new area of knowledge.
Eadie and Jim Goodboy are both teachers by motivational gift. It is always interesting to
visit them in their home, which is loaded with books of every description. We'll be talking
and happen to bring up a new subject. Invariably it triggers something in them.
"Just a minute," Jim will say. "I think I have a book that gets into that." Hell quickly
retrieve a book from the shelf and flip to the relevant reference.
Or: "l read something about that just the other day." Eadie will say.
Before long the dining room table will be loaded with open books, all contributing to the
development of new opinions and convictions.

When teachers teach they present the truth without necessarily explaining to their listeners how to apply that truth to their lives. Teachers believe the application of truth is the
job Of the Holy Spirit.
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, NIV) is a favorite
verse of teachers. They assume that others will respond to truth in the same way that they
do�as energizing and liberating.
Teachers are even able to teach truth they themselves have not yet appropriated. One
summer I worked as a counselor at a private girls' camp on the beautiful wooded shores of
Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. One of my responsibilities was to teach swimming, for which I was provided an instruction manual.
All went well until I got to the lesson on the breast stroke. I had been a reasonably good
swimmer all my life, but this was one stroke I was never able to master. I memorized the
directions, then walked out on the dock and instructed the girls, step by step. They did it!
And I couldn't do it myself No matter. The instructions worked. Later I slipped into the
water myself and, following what I had taught, swam my first breaststroke.
Most with other gifts would have practiced before class. But the teacher has confidence
that whatever is truth will be effective.

Because teachers believe that their job is to communicate truth and let people make
their own use of it, they usually do not give much in the way of practical suggestions.
This especially frustrates exhorters. (They focus on the actual application of teaching.) It
can also frustrate those with other gifts.
The listener may say, "So we've heard lots of facts, now what do we do with them?"
The teacher responds, �You've got a mind. You figure it out�
But not all minds work with the degree of logic that the teacher's mind does. Many need
specific directions - steps one, two, three. A teacher needs to learn how to give at least
some measure of practical application to his hearers.

The "know-it-all" attitude can be a real pitfall for people with the motivational gift of
teaching. Of course, they do know a lot. But no one knows everything.

Pride is probably the number one problem for those with the motivational gift of
teaching. Listen to what Proverbs has to say about it:
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs
11:2, NIV).
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18, NIV).
[7]
"A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor" (Proverbs 29:23,
Nrv).
In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul says that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The greatest
qualities a teacher can seek are humility and love. These will neutralize the pride
problem.

Being right is so important to the teacher that he easily becomes argumentative. The
feeling may be "I alone am right and everyone else is wrong." Such lack of checks and
balances can expose the teacher to deception. (Perhaps that's why some get into cults.)
God's truth is not exclusive; it can be verified by many.
Have you ever been involved in a good group discussion where each person is openly
interacting? And then a polluted teacher gift comes along and blurts out, "Well, I happen
to know that the truth of the matter is � No one can end a good discussion faster.

Teachers are interested in so many things! Their prolific reading takes them into all
kinds of areas. Their research extends to endless subjects. Focusing is not always easy.

The exhorter wants everyone to have a full, meaningful life. Exhorters are builders of
people. They want to help people live up to their full potential. Their greatest joy is
being an instrument to help another to live victoriously.

Interaction with their hearers is essential for exhorters. They watch expressions on
people's faces, listen for reactions and analyze language. They need to know that
they're really communicating. The most frustrating experience for the exhorter is to
share something of value with a person and then find out he or she wasn't
listening.

Research is not the exhorter's cup of tea. He or she avoids it if at all possible. "Why
reinvent the wheel?" they will ask. "If someone else has put together materials on a
subject, let's use what's available: It's putting truth to work that the teacher is
interested in.

Exhorters are "how-to" people. They also like to read books that focus on practical
application. They Prefer sermons that reveal how to apply Christian principles to
everyday life. Conversely, they do not like abstract books or sermons.
Exhorters love to hear other exhorters teach. "Wow! What great teaching,� they will
say when someone emphasizes the practicality of a principle. On the other hand,
they will not be too thrilled at teaching for teaching sake. Too much fact and not
enough act is, in their estimation, like overloading circuits that have no outlet.

Exhorters love to give specific steps for people to follow. They know how to instruct
others to get from point A to point C in the best possible way. It's all part of their
incredible ability to give constructive and helpful advice.

Exhorters are people people. They are not interested in working with things or
systems or abstract ideas. They love to be around people, doing things with people
or for them.

Exhorters want everyone to develop a full and fruitful ministry. They understand well
the concept of the Body of Christ with each member functioning to the benefit of the
others . They want this ideal realized in practice.

Life is so full of lessons and insights to exhorters. That's where they primarily learn.
Then they check the Bible to see what it has to say on the subject. They're always
glad to find "it's in the Bible, too:'
Exhorters discover truth by finding out experientially that something "works�.

Of all the seven motivational gifts, exhorters are the ones most gifted in and frequently
drawn to counseling. They are naturals for it. We have talked with dozens of exhorters
who tell us that even in their high school days other students sought them out for
counsel. People sense their ability, their caring concern, their interest in helping and
their approachability. One of the most helpful qualities of counselors is the ability to be
transparent about their own problems and how they have worked through (or are
working through) them. The counselee easily identifies with such a person: "Well, if
she's been through this and overcome it, maybe I can, too�
Exhorters have this ability. They are the first ones to admit that they are not perfect,
but just another person "on the way� It is easy for them to admit their sins and
sorrows, their pains and pitfalls.

While exhorters are not prone to quitting, there is one situation that will make
them give up and move on. If a counselee refuses to implement his or her
advice the exhorter may say something like: "I cannot counsel you any further
until you have put into action those things we've already agreed on;' or "If you
cannot follow my advice, I cannot help you� or "Look, both your time and my time
are being wasted until you are ready to change�
Exhorters realize that their success rests not so much on how much they know
or how experienced they are, but rather on how far the counselee is willing to
act on the advice given. Without such action the exhorter will feel that his or her
efforts are like shoveling against the tide � useless. Exhorters want to make their
time and effort count, so they will move on to someone who will act on their
advice.

Exhorters are the mouth of the body, with the greatest facility in speech of any of
the gifts. One of our biblical examples, Peter, was a fluent communicator. Perhaps
that's why he was so often the spokesman for the disciples.
An exhorter friend told us, "My greatest joy has always been to express encouragement
to others. If I had no voice, I'd probably write prolific letters or emails�.

Exhorters unquestioningly believe Romans 8:28: "All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose" (KJV).
They also refuse to accept the word impossible, preferring to believe what the
angel said: "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37, KJV); and
Jesus' words: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed ... nothing shall be
impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20, KJV).
Exhorters see opportunities, not obstacles. Challenges, not trials. Possibilities, not
problems.

While perceivers see people as either in the will of God or out of the will of God-with
nothing in between-exhorters are just the opposite. They don't see extremes at all-only a
vast gray area where everyone is somewhere along the way. No one has arrived. No
one is a complete failure. But everyone is at that point in life where a few well-chosen
steps will bring him or her that much closer to God's will.
Therefore, the exhorter does not see any need to judge people for where they are-or
are not-but rather sees the need to help them take those steps in the right direction. It is
this nonjudgmental attitude that enables him or her to help people so much.

There is an old song that goes, "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative,
latch on to the affirmative, and don't mess with Mister In-Between.� It must have
been written by an exhorter. They are so positive.
Because of this other people like to be around them. Someone has said you draw
more bees with honey than with vinegar. So, the exhorter draws people to him or her
just by being optimistic and positive.

While exhorters can witness verbally (and they do), they believe they must live the
Christian life in order to be credible. "We need to walk our talk� one exhorter said
candidly. To them faith must be demonstrated in practical ways in daily life. They
love the book of James, especially these verses from chapter two:
�But someone will say, "You have faith ; I have deeds:' Show me your faith without
deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do . . . You foolish man, do you want
evidence that faith without deeds is useless? . . .You see that his [Abraham's] faith
and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what
he did ... As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is
dead.� (James 2:18-26, NIV)
Exhorters believe that it is not enough to know the logos-the written Word-but that
it is essential to live the rhema-the living Word of God. The truth of the Bible
must become flesh-in them, here and now. One exhorter says, "I can only teach or
witness to that which I've appropriated in my own life. If my life is witness, then others
will want what I've found-Jesus Christ.�

Decision making comes naturally and easily to most exhorters. For them life is too
short to be indecisive. They are action people. They make their decisions based on
what they know at the time. Let's decide and get on with it, their thinking goes. If
more information is needed, they figure it will come.
"If I'm wrong in a decision.� Exhorters say, "God will correct me. I'm confident in that. I
don't mind being corrected. It's better to move ahead and get something accomplished,
even if I have to make adjustments later on, than to be paralyzed by indecision.�
Since exhorters are such practical people and so life-related in all that they do, we find
that their decisions are usually right on target.

Similar to the serving gift the exhorter does not like unfinished worker uncompleted
projects. They finish the letters they start, they work overtime to complete
assignments at the office or they burn the midnight oil to complete a Bible study
assignment.

Exhorters do not like strained relationships. They go immediately to the other person
to find out what's wrong. If necessary, they will even take the blame in order to build
the bridge to a restored relationship.

Exhorters feel that very few people, including themselves, live up to their potential. "I
expect a lot of myself,� they say, "and I guess that keeps me motivated to
accomplish more. God has equipped all of us so abundantly. Often we don't
recognize this. "If we set low goals, that's all we'll ever accomplish. If we set higher
goals, we'll grow. Often I can see potential in others that they don't see themselves. I
enjoy encouraging them to stretch.�
Each of us has a comfort zone, an area within which we can operate without being
challenged. It's easy just to stay there. The exhorter doesn't believe that's God's
perfect will for us. He believes God wants us to venture out into the unknown and do
things we didn't think we could.

Exhorters needs people in their lives that can be sounding boards. You see,
exhorters often think with their mouths. They like to verbalize a thought aloud so they
can hear how it sounds. It's as though they're trying an idea on for size-to see if it fits.
They can then do their own analyzing. A sounding board is basically passive.
While it's common for a married exhorter to use his or her mate for a sounding
board, sometimes it is a close friend. Single exhorters rely on friends, relatives,
classmates, teachers and sometimes whoever is available at the moment.

Exhorters have much to say. And, normally, that is not a problem. But when there is
an ongoing interchange of conversation, or any kind of structured meeting going on,
the exhorter's tendency to interrupt can be a source of frustration for others.

The exhorter believes it is the point he or she is making that is important. In his or
her mind, verifying it with Scripture is secondary. Of those who hear the exhorter,
many will not bother to check out the proof text. Not so the teachers and the
perceivers. They'll check it out and if the Scripture has been used out of context,
they may reject the point, or even the one who made the point. They may even try to
correct the exhorter.
Exhorters are adaptable. So, if their error is pointed out to them, they'll say, "Okay, if
that Scripture doesn't fit, I'll find another one that does.�
Exhorters usually have a good sense of humor, too.

Because those with the motivational gift of exhortation are so good at giving advice,
they can easily fall into the trap of giving "pat" answers. They may counsel three
people in a row with the same basic problem and, after prayer, prescribe the same
steps of action. The people are helped. Then along comes the fourth person. Same
problem. This time the exhorter doesn't bother to pray about what advice to give
since the same counsel worked for the previous three cases. But this time that
advice is not what was needed, and therefore is ineffective.
It is very important for the exhorter to consistently rely on the Holy Spirit-the
Counselor-for wisdom and guidance in giving advice. Otherwise he or she can
develop a cocky I-know-what-to-do-in-every-situation mentality.

Exhorters are always glad to tell you what they think. They are not as rigidly
opinionated as the perceivers or the teachers, but on matters of life application they
have strong opinions. That, coupled with the well- oiled jaw, makes opinions spill out
readily.
He or she can also be gossipy, bossy, over talkative and feisty. Actually, as one
exhorter put it, "My mouth often runs ahead of my mind.�
The exhorter's bossiness stems from the desire to give advice. Exhorters rather
enjoy telling others what to do. Someone once said, "Don't answer questions that
haven't been asked and don't give advice that hasn't been asked for.� The exhorter
could benefit from that wisdom.

In today's world, self-confidence is a sought-after quality. But like the foolish man
who built his house upon the sand, it makes a bad foundation. Our basic confidence
must be in the Lord. Then, with sober appreciation for the gifts and abilities He has
given to us, we can begin to build godly self-confidence.
If you run into any exhorters, you will usually be blessed by them. But if you are still a
victim of torrents of verbalization, feel free to request: "Please say that in twenty-five
words or less!"

Notice that givers give far more than just money. If they have money, they will give
generously of it, but they also give of anything else they possess. They give
comprehensively. They give with abandonment. And, in the more mature stages of givers'
lives, they give with absolutely no strings attached and no ulterior motives. They simply
become channels for the Lord to use for the distribution of His resources, for they are
convinced everything belongs to Him.

Jesus had a lot to say about not broadcasting our good deeds.
�Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.... So,
when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets.... Then your Father, who
sees what is done in secret, will reward you� (Matthew 6:1, 2-4, NIV). Giving is to be
secret.
Givers do not want acclaim or credit. They just want to please their heavenly Father. That
joy is reward enough for them. Often, they will go to great lengths to assure that others do
not find out about their gifts.

Givers give to ministries that they believe in- ones that are effectively sharing the Gospel.
Therefore, they not only give monetarily, but they also get involved in other ways. They
will pray for the ministry, write letters of encouragement, send �care� packages and
sometimes show up in person to assist in the work.

Givers often keep lists of people who need to receive salvation. They will intercede
faithfully until with joy they can check a name off the list. When you ask a group to pray for
the salvation of your relative or neighbor, the givers will follow through on your request.
Others may mean to, but soon forget. Not so the givers. Above all they want people to come
into the Kingdom of God.

Since givers know that the highest and best use of their gift is when they are being led to
give by the Holy Spirit, they are especially thrilled when someone says, �How did you
know I needed this? It's an answer to prayer.�

When givers give they give the very best. They are generous, even lavish. They want their
gifts to be the highest quality they can afford. If they cannot afford to buy a gift they will
make one-with great thoughtfulness and skill.
JoAnn had been attending the Tuesday morning Bible study at our home.

You can't talk a mature giver into giving. They will resist pressure appeals. They give only
as the Holy Spirit leads them.

When givers select a ministry to advance with financial support they check it out thoroughly
to be sure (1) it gets the Gospel out effectively, and (2) overhead and administrative
expenses are not taking too much of a chunk out of the donations.
Sometimes the giver wants to be an anonymous source of blessing for those who have
genuine needs.

Like the server, the giver loves to practice hospitality. Outwardly this characteristic looks
the same for both. But the inner viewpoint differs. The server sees hospitality as a chance to
serve; the giver sees it as an expression of giving.

Givers are good at handling money. The best, as a matter of fact. They're careful, cautious,
even a little tight with their own spending. They do not squander money.

Here�s another characteristic that the giver has in common with the server. The server,
however, is apt to jump in first to meet a need while the giver comes alongside to help once
someone else has identified the need.
Announce a church work party some Saturday and it will be the servers and the givers who
show up with greatest enthusiasm. They'll work all day and come back again if the job isn't
finished.
Ask for volunteers for any worthwhile cause and guess which gifts will respond first.

Steve Lightle shared with us that he and his wife, Judy, always pray about the amount of
money they give above their basic tithe to others or other ministries. �We find that at least
eighty percent of the time Judy and I feel we should give exactly the same amount,� Steve
said. �It's so good to have such confirmation.�

The person with the motivational gift of giving would never think of withholding part of his
or her tithe. That would be robbing God. Givers believe that everything they have-money,
home, car and all the other possessions-belongs to the Lord. They see themselves as
stewards of God's resources. The tithe is only the foundational aspect of their giving. Givers
give beyond that, often up to 20 or 30 percent of their income or more.

Givers are naturally evangelistic. We've found that even as children (providing they knew
the Lord themselves) givers attempted to lead other children to Jesus.

Since, from the giver's viewpoint, everything belongs to God, the Christian's job is simply
to distribute money and resources wherever He directs. Therefore, if the supply runs out (he
or she reasons), it is God's responsibility to replenish that supply. Meanwhile, the giver is
content to get by with whatever he or she has or, as the case may be, has not. Like Paul, the
giver knows how to be abased or to abound.
Givers love the Scripture: �But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus� (Philippians 4:19, KJV). They have every confidence that if they are
being obedient to God's direction in their life, He will indeed take care of their needs.
There is a seeming paradox. On the one hand givers seem most capable of all the gifts of
earning a good living, while at the same time they are the ones most likely to be led to �live
by faith.�

Whatever givers touch seems to turn to gold. The endeavors they get involved in habitually
succeed. True, givers are hard-working, but it's more than that. We believe that God
prospers givers so that they can (and they usually do) give even more to the work of the
Gospel.

Givers are good at making money. Even as children they are drawn into �business.� They
are the ones likely to open up a corner lemonade stand or go door-to-door distributing
homemade �business cards� offering babysitting or lawn mowing or car washes.
Givers also learn to save money at an early age.
More than any other gift, the giver is the one most likely to start up his or her own business.
These usually develop, grow well and become financially successful.

Givers don't like to waste money. When they give, they give the best. But when it comes to
spending money on themselves, they're frugal. They shop for bargains and sales. One giver
said, �I never buy a garment for myself at full retail price. I check the sale racks or wait for
post-season markdowns.�

We think God has supplied givers with this characteristic to protect them from those who
would wrongly dissociate them from their money. They are not easily fooled. You can't pull
the wool over their eyes.
This clear-eyed quality shows up in other areas besides finances.

Givers are fair and objective. They are often wise beyond their years. We cannot help but
think of King Solomon, a biblical giver who prayed for wisdom and received much. In 1
Kings 3:16- 28 we read that two women both claimed to be the mother of a surviving baby.
After hearing their claims Solomon asked for a sword and gave the order to cut the living
child in two and give half to one and half to the other.
What an awful-sounding command! But it was wisdom indeed, for the true mother cried out
to spare the child, while the mother of the dead child agreed: �Neither I nor you shall have
him. Cut him in two!� (verse 26, NIV).
Solomon's command had elicited from the women the responses that enabled him to
determine the facts. Note the concluding verse: �When all Israel heard the verdict the king
had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God�
(verse 28, NIV).

While givers are generous, they can also give with strings attached. A classic example is the
person who donates money for new church carpeting but wants to select the color
personally. Or the person who gives to the organ fund but wants to head up the committee
that selects it.

As do recipients of each of the other gifts, givers see theirs as of primary importance. They
don't understand why others don't give as much as they do. And so, consciously or
unconsciously, they can be a source of pressure.

Since givers depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit, an observer may see neither rhyme
nor reason for their pattern of giving. In fact, the seemingly capriciousness can be a source
of irritation to loved ones.

Givers love to give so much that they can spoil their children, nieces, nephews or
grandchildren.

Sometimes givers figure that if they provide the money they've done their part.
Jim loved to give, but he also loved to make money. He enjoyed his job and often worked
overtime. When his church-which had met for years in an old school-announced plans to
build, he contributed a very generous amount to the building fund. But when it came time to
put up the structure with mostly volunteer labor, Jim was �too busy� to help.
He rationalized that he'd work overtime at his job on Saturdays during the project so he
could make an additional contribution. But it wasn't long before the Holy Spirit brought him
under conviction and he admitted to himself that it was simply that he preferred working at
his office to physical labor. He repented.
When he showed up the next Saturday at the building site he found it was great fun working
with the other men. He decided getting personally involved was an important part of giving,
too.

Administrators love a challenge. Don tells me that's why I love him so much, because
he's a challenge. (There are times when I Can Say "amen" to that!)
They also love to "dig in" and develop or organize anything they're in charge of. The
natural motivation is there�a creative desire to take "raw materials" and people, and pro-
duce something that has never been�like organizing an office, setting up a committee, or
developing a project.
Although I've always been an organizer, from organizing neighborhood playmates to
being responsible for 900 young people as Director of Christian Education in a large Meth-
odist church, my favorite project was developing Aglow magazine.
The original challenge was to get the testimonies of Christian women out to those who
Characteristics of the Administrator
could not come to our meetings. But as the women passed along the little magazine to
friends and relatives and subscriptions started pouring in, we found that we had an unintended national publication on our hands.
The Lord kept adding competent personnel to our volunteer staff as we increased our
vision and enlarged our operation. Every day was exciting. And we saw the magazine develop from twelve black-and-white pages into thirty-two pages in full color. By the end of
seven years 100,000 copies were going out to sixty-five nations.
An organizer-leader is by job requirement a "jack of all trades but master of none." He
must have a wide range Of interests and abilities, but those who carry out specific tasks will
be more capable and specialized. In order to supervise effectively he needs to know a little
about a lot of things. I often praised the Lord for those with expertise in their fields. Together we made a team.

Administrators are excellent communicators. They look for ways to express what they
want to say clearly and effectively. Believing that a picture is truly worth a thousand words,
they like to use charts, diagrams, outlines, graphs, and other visual aids.
Guess why you have profile sheets and a scoring system in this book? Since this is my
primary motivational gift, the first thing I thought of when I learned about the gifts was,
"Why hasn't someone organized them into chart form so that people can test themselves?"
What a joy it has been to see people all over the world use these testing sheets to discover
their God-given gifts.
When I was editor of Aglow Publications, I also loved doing flow charts so we could see
what happened to an order from the time it came in to the time the materials were shipped
out. In addition I kept an up-to-date progress and sales chart on the back of my office door.
At one glance I could see how we were doing financially.
Diagramming came so naturally to me that when Don and I were newlyweds and had
our first disagreement I got out a piece Of paper, drew a diagram Of our differences, and
outlined a solution. It was not exactly what he wanted to see. I thought it would clear up
the whole matter but I had to learn there was a time and place for such things.

Administrators understand, honor, and respect authority structures. They feel comfortable with them, whether they are at the top or somewhere within the system.
The centurion who came to Jesus to ask Him to heal his servant probably had the motivational gift Of administration. When Jesus offered to go to the sick man's bedside the
centurion replied, " 'Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say
the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, "Go," and he goes; and that one. "Come," and he comes. I
say to my servant, "Do this," and he does it' " (Matthew NIV).
Jesus commended the centurion's confidence in His authority, and the servant was
healed.
Administrators want to know how much authority they have and what authority they do
not have, for they respect those limits. They like to have exact parameters defined, so they
will not inadvertently Step outside Of them, and they like the freedom, within those parameters, to "be their own boss." They are creative and productive given this situation, stifled
and inhibited without it.

Because of his keen respect for authority the administrator will never deliberately usurp
it. Therefore, in any situation where authority exists, the administrator will not try to move
in to utilize his skills�no matter how needed�unless those in authority ask him to do so.
Some years ago I was the speaker at a women's retreat in Kansas City. On the last evening a women's quartet sang after my concluding message, then invited people to come up
for individual ministry. About fifty women responded. I thought, ' 'This is going to take
hours. I'd love to go over and help them." But I had not been told specifically by the leaders
to assist in this prayer time, They had not said that I couldn't, either, but because I always
submit my ministry to the leaders of the inviting group I felt I could not go beyond what
had already been established.
"Glued" to my chair, I felt torn. I wanted to help but I "couldn't." Later I described my
dilemma to the leaders.
"Oh, we simply assumed that you would help with the ministry time," they said in surprise, ' 'We never thought to mention it."
But since they hadn't, I felt I couldn't participate.
There are lots of administrators who are not utilizing their abilities because of this characteristic. We encourage those in leadership positions to search out these facilitators and
delegate areas Of responsibility to them.

In situations where there is no existing leadership or authority structure it is the administrators who will most naturally step in and take charge, Divide a large group into sub-
groups and give each a task to do and it will be those with the motivational gift of administration who emerge as the spontaneous leaders of the individual units. True the would
prefer to be appointed ahead of time to take the lead, but where a group is floundering
with no designated leadership, they will take the reins.
Dan, a young man with a degree in business administration, says, "I can't stand lack of
leadership in an organization. If no one else will, I usually end up taking control to bring
order out of the chaos."
In the early days of Algow there was no one in leadership in the loosely knit fellowship.
So I took the initiative in starting the magazine. But eight years later when the Lord showed
me that I was to develop the Aglow television ministry, the organization had a well-
established superstructure with a president and six vice-presidents (of which I was one). So
I waited, without saying anything, until the time came that the whole board recognized it
was time to start such a ministry and appointed me to do it.

While the server enjoys short-term goals�two days or two weeks�the administrator
thrives on two-year projects. "In fact," one administrator said confidently, "l really prefer a
project that can take several years. I like something I can throw myself into, make long-
range plans, and establish shorter-range goals along the way."
When you ask a person with the gift Of compassion to set a goal he says, "Whatever
for?" He lives one day at a time, or more precisely, one moment at a time. It's the administrators who attend time-management seminars. They want to increase their skills in handling projects Of significant size.
Dorothy, a writer from the Pacific Northwest, told us she did not fully realize how much
she enjoyed long-range challenges until she was nearly forty years old. "At that time," she
explained, "I began to mix with other writers and found myself in charge of a writing
group. My job was to encourage new or faltering writers and now it's almost become an
obsession. I help them set personal long-range writing goals and keep after them to stick to
a program that Will enable them to reach these goals, even if it means neglecting my own
writing."

Proverbs 29:18 tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish... Vision is
needed to keep people in focus, whether in business or faith. A good leader is a person Of
vision, and in upholding that vision for others to see he can inspire great accomplishment.
That vision can be anything from a revelation of God as to His particular purposes for a
particular group, to the simple ability to visualize how people can work together to accomplish a common goal.
Nehemiah had a vision for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Joshua held onto the
vision Of the Promised Land. Joseph had a dream-vision showing how to spare the Middle
East from seven years of devastating famine. David had a vision for his role as king but
waited for the appointed time. Gideon had a vision of victory. The Bible is full of visionary
leaders.
Along with vision comes a specific type of faith. Administrators believe that they can
accomplish�with the help Of others�that which they are able to visualize.
Administrators often have vision beyond the scope of the people they lead, but those
who follow are spurred on and kept on course by the vision Of the leader. Without this, the
people would fail to achieve their potential.

Like one who loves to put pieces of a puzzle together, the administrator loves to fit people and resources together to facilitate a task.
Paul is a systems analyst for the Boeing Company. "I have to be an organizer, educator,
and motivator of various people if I am to accomplish the goals I've been assigned," Paul
explains. "I enjoy using organizational ability, logic, and persuasion as my basic tools for
working with people to get the job done."
In contrast, Julia uses her administrator gift in her home. "First thing in the morning I
always make out a list of things to be done during the day," she confides. "Then I think
through the jobs, who will do them, and when. I schedule tasks for the kids. I get the resources ready�the broom and mop, the garden tools, the bathtub cleaner. I even 'organize'
my husband. He's not always so happy about it but he knows if he does his part all the
work will get done on schedule."

Administrators love to tell people what to do. We mean that in a positive sense. They
easily see what jobs need to be done and they seem to know who can do them well. They
enjoy distributing work in such a way that it will bring about maximum satisfaction and
accomplishment.
Marvin was asked to take over the leadership of a large Christian organization that had
bogged down with ineffective workers. Marvin's motivational gift of administration enabled him to trim the staff and place capable people in key positions. Then he delegated lots
of responsibility, taught leadership principles to key staffers, and trained them to supervise
effectively. The organization was turned around from financial failure to an effective ministry.
Our son Dave has this gift too. We used to chuckle when he'd come home from college on weekends and walk in the door with a string of delegations: "Dad, would you look at the car, it's running kinda funny. Mom, will you do this load Of laundry for me, I didn't
have time to do it myself this week. Dan, would you mow the lawn for me�I've got to
study for a massive exam!" In a moment of time he had us all working on his delegated
tasks while he pursued his most important goal.

Enthusiasm emanates naturally from the administrator. The Amplified Bible says that
administrators are to do their job with "zeal and singleness of mind." The Greek word is
spoude. which in the King James is translated "diligence" and by Wuest "intense eagerness
and effort. " From Strong's Concordance we learn that the word also encompasses the ideas Of
speed, dispatch, earnestness, haste, intense effort, and determination.
It is as if God has given the administrator the ability to throw all of his efforts into a situation in order to see it to a conclusion.
Dennis, carrying several types of heavy administrative responsibilities, testifies, "I absolutely love what I am doing. I can hardly wait to get to work each day. I love the demands
and challenges of my job. I enjoy seeing how quickly I can accomplish what I need to do
and then move on to the next area with just as much zeal and enthusiasm."
Although the administrator's zeal is pure and altruistic it is so strong that others are
often threatened or overwhelmed by it.
"l was responsible for a volunteer organization," Hazel says. "l was really sold on its
purposes and threw myself wholeheartedly into the work. But some Of the membership
seemed suspicious of my enthusiasm and began to resist every idea I presented. I finally set
up a teaching session on the motivational gifts so they could learn what to expect from the
different ones. It helped. They began to accept my zeal and we worked together much better."

Servers work toward immediate goals, experiencing joy as each one is accomplished. For
administrators with their longer-range projects, the point of joy is often "'way down the
road."
Each time I wrapped up an issue of the magazine�all the stories edited, pictures ready,
captions and titles written, layout completed�and stuck the package in the mailbox to the
printer, that was my point of joy. But it took three months to get there. (And I have to
admit that there was a type Of "anticipated joy" along the way.)
Wanda found her gift of administration invaluable in her job as Christian education coordinator of her church. "The first goal I worked on," she says, "was to organize a resource
center that would supply the teachers with the materials they would need in order to do
their job well. Then I spent months training them in teaching methods. What a sense Of
fulfillment there was at last, to see the whole staff working together to make our Sunday
school the best it could be."

The mature administrator does not worry about getting credit for accomplishments. Like
anyone else, he enjoys a pat on the back, but he would rather share that credit with the
whole group. He sees success as a collective achievement. It is not false modesty when the
administrator refuses accolades insisting "None of this could have happened if it had not
been for the excellent work of my associates." He really means it. He sees himself as a facilitator, the others as the real accomplishers-
Roy Burkhart, pastor of a large church in Ohio, addressing five hundred seminary students on the practical aspects of pastoring asserted: '"It's amazing what you can get accomplished in a church if you don't care who gets the credit."
In the business world Jeff has learn how well his staff operates with the liberal distribution of appreciation. "But I even go beyond that," he admits. "Whenever I drop a hint or
an idea and one of my employees picks up on it and develops it, I give him credit for
thinking of it. I love to see people feeling useful and valued. It makes me feel good.

Once administrators complete a goal, they're ready to move on. Some assume that once
an organizer gets a business or a church group functioning, he would enjoy staying at the
helm and continuing to coordinate. No so. Once the system is running smoothly he'd
rather turn it over to someone else and move on to new challenges.
After seven years Aglow magazine was running smoothly, We finally had paid staff, a
good group of editors, and I no longer felt needed. With no pioneering work left to do I
was bored and frustrated. I knew in advance what each day would hold. There was no adventure left.
Then, at the close Of my eighth year, the whole television field opened up for us. It was
unmapped, untried territory and I was delighted. I could glimpse the potential for women
sharing the Gospel with Other women in the privacy Of their own homes.
I remember standing on the rooftop Of a skyscraper in Chicago that housed a Christian
television station and looking out in the darkness at vast numbers of high-rise apartment
buildings, visualizing the thousands upon thousands of women in those apartments�some
lonely, some abused, some afraid, many without hope. "Oh, God!" I cried. ' 'This is how we
can reach them! They probably wouldn't come out to a meeting. but they'll listen to an-
Other woman share her heart on their own TV sets."

This characteristic applies to all with the gift Of administration without exception. They
daily write reminder notes to themselves and make lists Of things to do, calls to make, goals
to accomplish.
Administrators tend to have so many things on their mind that if they don't write
something down when they think of it, they're apt to forget. At a writer's conference I was
talking with the then-new editor of Decision magazine. He shared with me some of the
things he liked about his new job and I could easily tell that he had the gift of administration. Just for fun I said, "You write notes to yourself, don't you?'
"How did you know' he asked with astonishment.
"Because," I replied, "I can tell that you are an administrator by motivational gift and
they always write notes to themselves!"
Adele admits, "I live my life by lists. Sometimes I spend more time making them than it
would take to do the job. I have such a tendency to want to organize�but some things
would be better left spontaneous."
Another administrator confided in us that whenever she did not have a piece Of paper
handy she'd jot notes on her hand, and then hope she didn't forget and wash her hands
before she got the notes transferred!

Is a bee drawn to honey? Does a cow come back to the barn? Just so an administrator is
bound to lead�at least part Of the time.
One of the things we have learned about administrators is that they do not do well in
any kind of team leadership. They have strong convictions about the way they lead. Each
one has his own style and two leaders will clash. They far prefer to be given specific areas
in which they are in sole charge than to be placed in what they view as a no man's land of
dual leadership. As one man put it, "I'd much rather follow than try to share leadership on
an equal basis with another administrator."
One of the rare couples who share the motivational gift Of administration is a young
pastor and his wife, Duncan and Judy. Both were raised on farms and loved gardening. So
in their first pastorate they decided to plant a vegetable garden in the backyard, and later
related this scene to us:
"The rows should go north and south," Duncan declared.
"Oh, no," Judy insisted, "we always planted east to west."
"Well, the tall vegetables need to go over here on the south side to help shade the other
crops," Duncan claimed.
"You've got to be kidding." Judy blurted out. "Anyone knows it's best to plant the corn
and the beans on the north so the smaller plants get adequate sunshine." They spent the
next hour arguing over where each vegetable should go.
"We were getting nowhere," Judy said. "We were both so sure we were right. I don't
think we would ever have gotten our garden planted if Cod had not given Duncan some
special wisdom. He got a stick and drew a line right down the middle of the plot and gave
me the right side while he took the left. Our rows went in different directions and we each
followed the methods we'd been used to. And you know what? We each had a beautiful,
productive garden."
There can also be exceptions. My administrator friend Bette Ayers wrote, "Thought you
would find it interesting that on occasion two leaders can work together. While I was the
chairman of retreats for our church I had JoAnn McMoran as my right hand gal. I cannot
tell you how wonderful it was working with her. I was so blessed to have her to pray with
me and seek the Lord's will in every aspect. I found that when two administrators work
that well together, it's because they have the Lord as the Administrator!"

In any group or organization where a method of operation has been established, people
feel at ease with it. But when an administrator is placed in leadership he or she may see
that changes are necessary. Yet it is not easy to move people out Of their "comfort zone." It
calls for great wisdom, and administrators have it.
Jesus explained that a leader in the Kingdom of God "is like a householder who brings
forth out Of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that isl old�the fresh [as well
as] the familiar" (Matthew 13:52, TAB).
In Japan we visited Meiji-Mura, a restored village of the Meiji �riod. Our host, Pastor
Tempei Wada, pointed out a house that had an old-fashioned storehouse out back. "That
is like the storehouse Jesus mentioned," he said. "It was where the householder kept his
treasure, his money, his silver dishes, anything Of value.
"Notice there are no windows," he commented. "When the door was bolted there was
no way for a thief to break in. The householder would store his valuables there�new purchases as well as family heirlooms, and bring them into the house to enjoy as he desired."
We thought the parallel was apt. The wise leader introduces new ideas or new ways of
functioning one or two at a time, letting people hold onto much of the familiar while adjusting to the fresh. Then another new idea can be introduced, and then another, but not all
at once.

Administrators are people people. They share this characteristic with the exhorters, except that the motivation in their case is not to encourage but to get to know, to learn from,
to interact with. Administrators are great observers of human behavior and are constantly
learning how to work with people more effectively.
We've watched our son Dave focus on people. In high school he loved being a part of a
group, whether it was a football team, a Christian singing group, the church youth group,
the student body leadership, or just his own gang of friends.
As a junior he noted that many of the students were unaware of the problems of people
in third-world nations. He was especially interested in the plight of the people of Haiti, and
came up with an idea to expose fellow students to their needs.
With the help of a teacher and a staff member of World Concern he arranged for eight
students and two adults to go on a ten-day trip, first to Washington, DC, to talk with a
congressional aide, then on to Florida to visit a refugee camp, and finally to Haiti to visit
Christian hospitals, schools, churches, and orphanages and to get acquainted with the people. "It was a real in interpersonal relationships," Dave said.
During his sophomore and junior years at Seattle Pacific University Dave became "peer
advisor" of a dorm floor. It helped pay for his room and board but more importantly gave
him the opportunity to interact with other students and to further develop his leadership
When Dave told us he was considering running for student body president for his senior
year we could encourage him to do so, for with his motivational gift of administration and
his love for people we knew he'd do a great job. He was elected�and he did.
Dave's been accepted at Yale University Divinity School. He plans to become a pastor or
a college professor so that, as he says, "I can have an impact on as many people's lives as
possible. "

Administrators want to get the job done�fast! They do not like delays, red tape, or
people dragging their feet.
One administrator mother said, "I get very upset and frustrated when I can't finish a
simple project quickly. The greatest obstacle is not knowing where things are. With a family as large as mine [she has six children) it's amazing what disappears or doesn't get back
to its rightful place."
Jenni, who has taken on the directorship of a girls' drill team, shared how frustrating it is
when the youngsters do not pay attention or apply themselves. "They have the potential to
be champions but that takes work. Often they simply play at learning the formations. It's
delayed our progress; I wish they wouldn't waste time."

"Boring!" That sums up the administrator's opinion of repetitive work- No challenge- No
interest.
We estimate that an administrator would last no more than one day on an assembly line
job. Servers on the other hand might enjoy the security of a work routine where they knew
exactly what was expected Of them. NO wonder administrators love having servers on their
team, so they can delegate this kind of work to them.
Susan, an administrator from Kamloops, Canada, wrote us that while she is doing routine tasks around the house she beats the boredom by organizing her current projects in
her head. "Not only does the housework become more tolerable," she reported, � 'but when
I'm free to work on the project, most of the planning is already completed and so I save time. "
Gladys says she copes with routine housework by listening to teaching tapes. Wilma has
a similar system, only with her it's good music. Mark wears his Walkman and headphones
when he mows the lawn. Georgia prays as she vacuums and scrubs floors. And Pete memorizes Scripture on his half-hour drive to and from work. All good ideas for administrators!

As mentioned, the administrator finds it difficult to work in team leadership to begin
with, but when his co-workers have stunted vision that hampers the accomplishment Of
goals, it is to him as a millstone around the neck.
One administrator, Ed, worked for an organization that was structured so that all seven
men who headed up departments also served as the governing board. Their policy was not
to move ahead on any project unless all were in agreement. It seemed an ideal way to govern, but in practice there were frustrations when the negative vote Of one person became
the determining factor.
"There were several on the board who were quite conservative and automatically suspicious of any new idea, " Ed reported. "Each time I'd present a proposal to increase the organizations effectiveness one of them was sure to dig in his heels and we'd hear, 'Well, we've
never tried it before,' or, 'We'd better put that on the shelf for now.'
"I would get so Ed admitted. "Their lack of vision was absolutely frustrating. I
finally blew up. I'm not proud of it but I told them we'd never make any progress if they
continued to let the person of least vision determine the level of our work.
"The Lord dealt With me about my attitude, but He also showed me that that particular
authority structure was not for me. I was able to move on to another job where I didn't feel
so many restraints."
Perhaps the most important thing for the administrator to learn is that prayer changes
things. Persuasion and the presentation of facts only go so far in changing another's limited
perspective. But God can move mountains�and people�and enlarge the vision Of others
if we just ask.

If it is true, as psychologists tell us, that for every negative word spoken against us we
need four positive words to neutralize the negative effects, then it's clear why many administrators build up a callousness to protect themselves from the barrage of criticism their
position invites.
Malcolm, an administrator with an executive position, is married to a woman who used
to pick at him constantly. She majored on his weak points, and bombarded him with unkind comments.
"I could take criticism at work," he insisted, '%ut it was the critical attitude of my wife
that defeated me. I built walls Of silence and sarcasm and determined I was not going to let
her hurt me anymore. We were living in the same house but that was all. Our marriage was
falling apart and I kept telling myself I didn't care.
"Fortunately our pastor did. He called us in for counseling and helped me to begin to let
down the walls as he also taught my wife how to communicate without criticizing. It took
time, but what we both learned was worth it, and now we are helping to counsel others
with similar problems."

Administrators are so goal-oriented that they can forget that people are not pawns to be
moved about as in a game of chess. It's not that they mean to do this, it just happens that they push a good quality to an extreme until they become inconsiderate of�even hurtful
to�others.
I remember how, in the early days of Aglow when our editorial and publishing "office"
was in the room over our unusually large garage. I would lapse into this from time to time.
Most of our volunteer staff worked just until four o'clock so they'd be home before their
husbands were.
One day I could see that we could finish mailing out the magazine if everyone would
work only half-an-hour longer. I asked if they would.
"My husband gets very upset if I'm late," one woman apologized. "He doesn't mind my
doing volunteer work, as long as it doesn't interfere with our home life."
"I'd like to stay and help," said another, equally apologetic, "but my babysitter can't
stay past 4:15."
"I can stay an extra ten minutes," one person ventured, ' 'but I've got to shop and get
dinner on the table or my son will miss basketball practice."
I suddenly realized what I was doing. I'd started looking at them as so many hands to get
a job done, rather than seeing them as real people with real families with real needs to be
met. I was the one who needed to apologize!

Priorities! That's what administrators need to keep in mind. As one told us, "I give myself one hundred percent to whatever I do." But this potentially admirable quality can also
wreak havoc in other areas Of life.
Administrators can get overextended, be too committed to a task, or take on too much
for either their own good or their family's well-being. Their zeal for their work or ministry
can leave those they love the most feeling neglected.
Some excellent advice is given in the beautiful description in Proverbs 31, "She considers a new field before she buys or accepts it�expanding prudently [and not courting neglect Of her present duties by assuming others)" (verse 16a, TAB). Whenever administrators
are considering new fields of endeavor they need to take stock of their present obligations
and take on new responsibilities only if they can do so without neglecting spouse, children.
job, church commitments�and time for devotions, exercise, and recreation.

I was tremendously relieved to learn that administrator women do not have to love
housework! I used to feel so guilty about it. I do get it done�eventually. But I'll have to
admit that our house looks lived in.
I procrastinate. I don't love dusting. I do it and the next day the dust just resettles on
everything. I make the bed and then, of all things, we sleep in it, and I have to make it again
the next day. I wash clothes and soon they need to be washed again. There's no end to
routine. (I'm so grateful for the reports that there is no dirt or dust in heaven.)
Housework must be done. But I've got a long phone cord so I can be loading the dishwasher while I talk on the phone. I listen to tapes while I do floors. I watch my favorite TV
program while I fold laundry and iron. I've learned to make housework endurable.
And for you administrator men, it's okay to hate yard work, and cleaning out the gutters,
and repainting the house, but just remember that those things still need to be done. You
are the men, along with you career women, most likely to become "workaholics" or "married to your job." So watch it!
For all of us administrators, we need to remember that our love for our job, our volunteer projects, our church work, or whatever we're involved in must not put us in a position
of neglecting life's necessary responsibilities.

Of all the motivational gifts, this is the one with the greatest capacity and ability to show
love to others. Reflecting the nature of their heavenly Father, compassion people seem
to be an unending source of agape love. The more opportunities they have to give
love, the more joyful and fulfilled they are.

Compassion people are noncritical. It's almost as if they have built-in blinders that keep
them from seeing bad things in others. Their focus remains on the good, both
realized and potential. Neither do they want to hear others talk about the negatives
in people.

One can almost visualize invisible feelers or antennae on the heads of those with
the motivational gift of compassion. They are incredibly sensitive to the emotional
status of others. They know if people are up or down, elated or blue, confident or
fearful.
Compassion people are also good at reading body language. Some experts in
communication have proposed that 75 to 85 percent of human communication is
nonverbal. The way we stand, sit or even hold our arms can say, �I'm open to you" or,
"I won't receive a thing you say" or, �I'm hanging loose today.� On top of this, our facial
expressions are often a dead giveaway of feelings even when we don't say a thing. Or if
we do, the tone of our voice can reveal far more than the words we use.
All of us can "read" this type of communication to some degree, but compassion
people are the experts. And since they function in this area constantly, they are often
more or less in tune with the deepest feelings of others.

This is an always-present, ready-to-function characteristic of compassion people. It
starts in early childhood and continues all through their lives.
They are the ones as children who brought home the lost dogs and the stray cats.
They also brought home the lonely kids no one else cared for.

Compassion people are not only drawn to the hurting, they also do something about
it.
A woman with this gift gave us a capsule definition of the difference between sympathy,
empathy and compassion:
Sympathy says: �I'm sorry you hurt!�
Empathy says: �I'm sorry you hurt, and I hurt with you!�
Compassion says: �I'm sorry you hurt, and I hurt with you, and I'm going to stay
right here with you until the hurt is gone.�

Suppose you have to go to the hospital. Guess who's going to be the first to come
and visit you? The compassion person will inquire about your comfort and the
medical prognosis. But he or she will then move on to find out how you are feeling
about being in the hospital. Are you worried about things getting taken care of at
home? Are you battling fear? Do you sense the Lord's presence in this time of
need? Do you need prayer? He or she may just sit by your bed and hold your hand or
will literally weep with those who weep.

Compassion people grieve over broken relationships. They are builders of bridges and
menders of breaches. They are the peacemakers. They want to see the Body of Christ
united and functioning in love. They love Jesus' prayer in John 17, and work to that
end.

These are the people who will open the door for you, let you step in line in front of
them, give you the best chair.

The last thing a compassion person wants is to be the cause of hurt to another
person. Therefore, they are careful of their own actions and speech. We've seen
them stop in the middle of a sentence in order to choose just the right word, lest they
say something that might offend.

The compassion people's �built-in radar system� helps them to detect ulterior
motives or insincerity of any kind. They will back off from a person or a group when
they sense this.

Those with the motivational gift of compassion are naturally drawn to each
other. They enjoy sharing with each other, praying together and just being
together. It isn't so much that they think alike, but that they feel alike. They
have the same emotional reactions to people and situations. They share the
same concerns.

These are the people who remember birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's and
Father's Day and Valentine's Day- and find a host of other occasions on which to
send cards or notes just to say they care.

It's because they are trustworthy that compassion people expect others to be so,
too. They assume that everyone is honest and reliable until absolutely proven
otherwise. They can be so trusting, in fact, that they can be in danger of becoming
gullible.
They are greatly disappointed when someone proves not to be reliable. But you
know what? They will continue to expect the best from that person anyway. They
believe in people's capacity to change for the better. Often this very expectation
brings out the best in those around them. But it can also work to the compassion
person's harm.

Even small children with the compassion gift find it very difficult to cope with conflict.
They long for peace and harmony in the home, and when parents quarrel or split up,
the compassionate youngster assumes it is their fault: �If I had just been a better child
my mom and dad would still be together.�
Compassion people are not confronters. They may hint that they are unhappy about
something, but will seldom, unlike the perceiver or exhorter, address a problem straight
on.

Compassion people have one speed, and it's slow forward. As children, these were
the kids who had to be pushed out the door, so they'd get to school on time. They
just didn't pay much attention to clocks. Somehow time just isn't that important to
them. They are now people. They Live for the moment. They figure the future will
take care of itself, as long as they are doing all they can in the present.

Compassion people are positive people. The Amplified Bible says they are to show
mercy and compassion "with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness" (Romans
12:8). They love showing love. It gives them joy to do so.
One person said, "I love being around compassion people. Their cheerfulness buoys me up.�
Since they yearn to relieve hurts and encourage relationships, they are constantly
working to bring the level of happiness in others up to their own and beyond. How
often we all need that kind of help!

The heart plays the major role in the compassion person's life. The heart is the
channel through which he or she shares God's wonderful love with others.
Compassion people are not normally tagged thinkers, intellectuals or analyzers.
Rather, they are the feelers. They rely on emotions rather than mental processes to
guide their lives. They're the ones who could say, �Don't confuse me with the facts;
my feelings are already made up.� This is not to say that they do not use their
minds. They do-but always in relationship to what they feel.
Unfortunately, it is more difficult for a man to have this gift than for a woman.
Society allows a woman to be led by her heart and easily moved to tears. Not so a
man. The social expectations of most cultures tend to pressure a man into a macho
mold, but the compassion gift is just not going to fit. Our hope is that wider
understanding of the motivational gifts will allow compassion people of both sexes
to be the beautiful, tenderhearted people they were created to be.

In any group or organization where a method of operation has been established, people
feel at ease with it. But when an administrator is placed in leadership he or she may see
that changes are necessary. Yet it is not easy to move people out Of their "comfort zone." It
calls for great wisdom, and administrators have it.
Jesus explained that a leader in the Kingdom of God "is like a householder who brings
forth out Of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that is old�the fresh [as well
as] the familiar" (Matthew 13:52, TAB).
In Japan we visited Meiji-Mura, a restored village of the Meiji �riod. Our host, Pastor
Tempei Wada, pointed out a house that had an old-fashioned storehouse out back. "That
is like the storehouse Jesus mentioned," he said. "It was where the householder kept his
treasure, his money, his silver dishes, anything Of value.
"Notice there are no windows," he commented. "When the door was bolted there was
no way for a thief to break in. The householder would store his valuables there�new purchases as well as family heirlooms, and bring them into the house to enjoy as he desired."
We thought the parallel was apt. The wise leader introduces new ideas or new ways of
functioning one or two at a time, letting people hold onto much of the familiar while adjusting to the fresh. Then another new idea can be introduced, and then another, but not all
at once.

In the eyes of the compassion person, right needs to prevail. If there is evil at work
in society, he or she strives to overcome it, usually in "silent witness" fashion such
as sit-ins, picketing, peace marches, emails or mail-outs. Those who have more
extroverted personalities or a strong secondary "speaking gift " may also address
political rallies or appear on TV. But all work to bring about change. They tend to be
altruistic, not wanting any special benefit for themselves, but for others.

This is the third of the seven motivational gifts that is called to and anointed for
intercessory prayer. They intercede primarily for the hurts and problems they have
become aware of in other people's lives. Theirs are deep, heartfelt prayers. If you've
heard a compassion gift in action at a prayer meeting, you may have thought, Oh,
how beautiful. I wish I could pray like that.
They are so expressive because they feel what they are praying so deeply. It is not
unusual for them to be moved to tears as they intercede. They pray with
abandonment, almost forgetting there are others present, unashamed of their tears
or other expressions of emotion.
Those who are drawn to become regular members of an intercessory prayer group
are the perceiver, the giver and the compassion person. Each will bring his or her
own special approach to the gathering.
The perceiver will pray for the will of God to be done in nations, in churches, in
other groups and in individual lives.
The giver will pray for the salvation of lost souls, specifically and generally.
The compassion person will pray for the problems and hurts of people and for unity
in the Body of Christ.
It is a beautiful thing to behold such a group in action. We believe it is the
actualization of Jesus' declaration:
Again, I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a
symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it
will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever
two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in My name, there I
AM in the midst of them.
Matthew 18:19- 20
Notice that "agree" (the Greek word is sumphoneo) means to �harmonize together
or make a symphony� a beautiful picture of what happens when these three gifts
pray together. Just as a chord is richer and lovelier than a single note, so when
each gifted person prays wholeheartedly from his unique perspective, the resulting
harmony is exquisite. It touches the heart of God and produces results.

It is difficult for the compassion person to make decisions. He or she will ponder the
possible consequences, delay as long as possible or transfer the responsibility to
others if possible.

Because a compassion person cannot stand to see another person hurt or
offended, he or she is quick to take up the offended person's cause.
Here's how it goes. Person A says something hurtful to person B. The compassion
person observes this and joins person B in being upset with person A. Meanwhile A
and B make up and restore their relationship. But the compassion person is still
holding a grudge against person A.
They need to learn, first, that these matters are none of their business - except as
they pray for those involved. We are not accountable for the actions of others unless
we are in a position of authority with them, like a parent, pastor, teacher or group
leader.
And second, they need to learn that prayer will move mountains. Just as prayer can
defuse the perceiver's critical attitude, so prayer can defuse the compassion
person's tendency to take up offenses. He or she needs to give the offense to the
Lord, let Him deal with the situation and then let go of it.
Sometimes taking up an offense gets in the way of God's dealing with the other
person. The compassion person also has a tendency to be easily offended. He or
she reads meaning into other people's words or actions that are not there at all.
A good prayer for the compassion person is, "Lord, help me to be slow to be
offended, on my own behalf or another's.�

This is the big one! No one gets hurt as easily as the compassion person. They are
the most vulnerable. It usually starts in childhood, even in infancy.
Unfortunately compassion children often assume the blame for strife between
parents. They tend to take everything so personally.
It's ironic, but the very people who are the best at relieving the hurts of others are
the ones who are most easily hurt themselves. Or . . . is it that God doesn't waste
anything that we go through - if we let Him use it?

This is another danger area for those with the gift of compassion. If they empathize
too completely with the suffering of others, it can weigh them down and render
them ineffective in ministry.
Dinah wrote to us about this problem in her life. �I always want to help someone
who is hurting because I hurt for them. But I have a tendency to take their worries
on myself and go through it all with them. Then I'm not objective enough to really be
of help.�
Dinah's answer was to remember that Jesus has already borne our sorrow and
grief. He's the only One with a heart large enough to carry them. We need to
commit the suffering of the world to Him, rather than trying to take it upon
ourselves.

Because compassion people have such ability to show love, and because so many
people need to feel loved, it is easy for their affection to be misconstrued as sexual
attraction.
We recommend that a compassion person never, counsel someone of the opposite
sex alone. (In fact, this is a good rule for everyone).