For every gift God gives, Satan tries to erect a stronghold right next to it to block it.
One of my clients described her gift of service as a problem:
“I have no boundaries. I would give you this shirt off my back if you asked me. I can’t say no. I loved to volunteer, but I have lost that option. Now I just get assigned tasks without even being asked. I’m always working in the background, so I’m never in the church during worship to enjoy the anointing. You will find me in with the children, or I will be cleaning the bathrooms. I would resign from some of these responsibilities, but I just don’t want to let anyone down! I feel like a doormat.”
Can you relate to this scenario?
How Can You Tell if You Have the Gift of Service?
- You show love and kindness by doing things for others.
- Your self-esteem is gained through works and performance.
- You are sensitive to the needs of others.
- It is hard for you to accept help for your needs.
- You are gentle, kind, and compassionate.
- You tend to rescue people and then become the victim.
- You prefer to work behind the scenes.
- People run over your boundaries like a freight train.
- You desire recognition and can become resentful if you don’t receive at least a little.
- You have a hard time sitting still. Busy is your middle name.
Do you see yourself here?
Good, now let’s take a look at what’s holding you back.
The Top Three Strongholds Corrupting the Gift of Service
- The Jealousy Stronghold. Your gift of service was identified early at home. You loved helping around the house and doing chores. You were known as the “perfect child” and you liked the attention it brought you. You learned doing things for others was natural for you and it got you the attention you desired. You wound up with more chores than everyone else because you did their work for them. Somewhere it turned you into a rescuer. Rescuers become victims of who they are trying to save. Boundaries become enmeshed, and you are left angry and resentful. It’s a pattern you need to recognize.
Spirits in Operation: Resentment, frustration, bitterness, self-blaming, self-anger, self-impatience.
Repent for being angry at yourself and others. You are loved for who you are and not what you “do.” You cannot earn love from God. You are loved. Col. 3:12 Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness and patience.
- The Heaviness Stronghold– At the root of this stronghold is guilt. It wants you to feel obligated and responsible so it can victimize you. Its goal is to bring in weariness and fatigue. You try to put up boundaries, but guilt always leaves you holding the bag. Spirits of heaviness want you to give up and isolate, so you are left lonely and wallowing in self-pity.
Spirits in Operation: Guilt, Self-Rejection, Loneliness, Self-pity, and Weariness and Fatigue.
Repent: From allowing guilt to drive your bus. It’s time to take off that false sense of responsibility and realize you are not the glue holding everything together, God is. Cast these cares on the Lord and watch him realign your service load. Psalm 55:22. 1 Peter 5:7
- The Fear Stronghold: The demonic kingdom wants to make you feel unworthy, insecure and inadequate. They try to connect your worth to your works. They want you to strive to earn approval, but they will hold it out of your reach so you feel like a failure. These demons of fear will keep you up at night with hyperactive thoughts and unrest. They will taunt you with guilt that you disappointed someone or said the wrong thing. Their purpose is to steal your gift and your identity so that you do not perform the call of God on your life.
Spirits in Operation: Insecurity, Inadequacy, fear of failure, and fear of rejection, worry, hyperactive thoughts, and unrest.
Repent for anxious striving that brings you to unrest. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night, their minds do not rest. (Eccl: 2:22-23)
God will never take his gifts back—learn how to use them wisely!
Your gift was not meant to label you a doormat!
Hopefully, this has opened your eyes to the strongholds erected right next to your gift service. Shedding light on them exposes them, deliverance boots them out.
*More Ways to Enjoy This Post*
Get all of our popular videos, podcasts, presentations, and guides in one place.