I have super exciting news!! God gave you, yes you, a set of unique skills and gifts that He empowers you to use to further His kingdom on earth. They facilitate an encounter with Jesus, for other people, by producing a result that goes above and beyond your natural ability. These gifts are called Charisms! The word Charism literally means “favor” or “gratuitous gift”. They are gifts freely given to us from God that we can use/give to others. There are 23 Charisms, and we all possess a small handful!
Before you fret and worry about how to access them or how you are going to use them, let me ease your mind. God has already given them to you and chances are you are using them without even realizing it….
Have you ever met someone who is incredibly easy to talk to? You find yourself pouring out your life story and they actively listen? Chances are they have the Charism of encouragement. Do you find yourself making beautiful arts and crafts that move people's hearts? You probably have the Charism of craftsmanship. Do you love organizing small groups and facilitating meaningful discussions? I bet you have the Charism of pastoring. The fact I am typing out this informational blog is proof that I have the Charism of teaching.
You could continue on your faith journey without ever acknowledging what your Charisms are, but when we call to mind and develop our Charisms we are able to draw closer to the Lord because we are taking steps to remove the obstacles that get in the way. We are able to work in union with the Holy Spirit by learning how to completely trust Him to work through us.
The hard part is discerning the difference between a natural skill and a Charism. As a music teacher, I knew that both teaching and music could be potential Charisms. After attending the ‘Called and Gifted’ workshop followed by an interview, I was able to discern that music was a definite Charism for me and not just a natural talent.
You see, one of the primary ways to discern if we hold a Charism is to observe the feedback other people give us, notice the feelings that we experience during or after the use of our charism, and distinguish the fruit that comes forth from it.
There was one evening that I was asked to sing for a Eucharistic Adoration event. My job was to lead music while people prayed and attended the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I had spent hours collecting music for my favorite praise and worship songs, organizing the song order, practicing and worrying about how the event was going to go. Despite the nervous feelings I had leading up to the event, the moment I invoked the Holy Spirit to use my voice to lead others in prayer, I was able to sing for 2 hour straight without a hiccup! The music poured out of my heart and I felt so energized. I knew that I was not singing alone because I could feel the Holy Spirit working through me! There were song combinations and transitions that I could not have put together on my own, I was feeling confident but not prideful, and I knew there was something supernatural about what I was experiencing.
Afterwards, many people thanked me for singing and commented on the quality of music. But there was one comment that gave me confirmation that real fruit was being produced
through my voice that night. My friend Hannah said to me, “Abby when you were singing, it was really easy for me to enter into prayer.” Wow! For the longest time, I thought that I was just blessed with a nice singing voice but it turns out the Lord has been using my gift of music to draw other people closer to Him!
Our loving Lord gave each of us a handful of Charisms to use as we serve as His hands and feet on earth. There are 23 Charisms that you could potentially possess. I encourage you to dig out your bible and read about them in Romans 12, 1 Chorinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. Do not hesitate to reach out to us at Catholic.Country.Chronices@gmail.com or message us on Instagram or Facebook if you would like more information. We would love to assist you on your Charism journey!
Until Next Time~Your Sister in Christ,
Abby
***Most of the factual information was pulled from the 'Catherine of Siena Institute-Called and Gifted' Workbook. You can find more information on their Called and Gifted workshop on their webpage Siena.org.