Today I offer you three more Gifts of the Spirit to add to our list, and all three might surprise you. They are Administration, Craftsman, and Poverty.

You might think of Administration as a skill in dealing with office workers. But the Greek translation of this word is “visionary, managing leadership.” The Gift of Administration is about the ability to organize people and resources to achieve maximum efficiency in the work of the Kingdom of God! Would that more of us possess such a gift!

Craftsman is another gift of the Spirit. We take creativity for granted, but thankfully, God does not. In the Book of Exodus, God Himself directs the building of the Wilderness Temple and the Altar using certain craftsmen. God gave the blueprint for His work and blessed certain men with the skills needed to accomplish his work. In Chapter 30, God says: I have filled [these craftsmen] with the Spirit of God and given [them] the skill, ability, and knowledge… This gift is visible in our places of worship, music, and liturgy as we attempt to create weekly experiences that give us a glimpse of heaven.

The gift of Poverty is better called Voluntary Poverty. A person with this gift chooses to divest oneself of material things, not because they are wrong, but to simplify one’s lifestyle for more effective ministry. St. Francis of Assisi was wealthy, but he divested himself of everything he owned to serve his God to the fullest.

Something to think about…

About the author: Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is the priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.