Challenges in Learning to Move in the Gifts, Part 3

Being Controlling: Control is just another word for flesh, or getting our needs met our way, without God. So we can use the gifts to gain recognition or to prevent rejection. Either way it is the flesh, and is ultimately an attempt to control not only our own circumstances, others and our selves, but God Himself. Since He knows this very well, and hates our flesh, He’s not going to let it come between Him and His purposes for us (healing, freedom, dependence on Him). It is likely that He will arrange circumstances to show us the failure of our own resources and provide us with the knowledge and opportunity to turn to the gifts of the Spirit in order to address the circumstance. This could be an external circumstance, such as a cri-sis or urgent need, where we need to hear from Him and He brings us into contact with someone who gives us an undeniable word from God, or He could give us such a hunger for Him that we become willing to set aside every hindrance and belief that keeps us from having that hunger satisfied. Remember, though, that it is not the gifts that satisfy, but dependence on the Lord. Also recognize that just because someone may be trying to use the gift to control does not prevent the Lord from moving to meet the need—don’t reject the fruit of the gift because it is “done wrong.”
Independence: Flowing in the gifts of the Spirit is an outflowing of something that already resides within each of us. If we find it a strain and a struggle, either emotionally or mentally, or find it hard to act on the gift, we are likely trying to move in the gifts out of our own strength.
Being Judgmental: There are at least two ways judgmentalism plays into learning about the gifts.