The Spiritual Gift of Organizing

When I started posting on Spiritual Gifts I had no idea it would take this long 

to get through the seven motivational gifts.  

The spiritual gift of Organization is also known as 'Administration' or 'Ruler'.  If you pay special attention it will not take you long to pick out the Organizers in your group of friends or church.    

1.  An Organizer is able to visualize final results.

When a major project is given to an organizer, he/she is able to picture the completed task and what it will take to accomplish it.  When Nehemiah was given the task of removing the "great affliction and reproach" of God's people in Jerusalem, he immediately visualized the need to rebuild the walls.

...but an Organizer needs to be careful not to view people as mere resources.  If an organizer is in the position of authority, he can simply direct people based on his gift of seeing the bigger picture.  If he is not in the position of authority, he must earn the right to be heard.  Then he must patiently explain all the steps that he sees are required to reach the goal.  An organizer will tend to make suggestions and then react or become discouraged when those steps are not followed.

2.  An Organizer needs Loyalty in associates.

In order for an organizer to visualize the completion of a task, he needs to know who and what his resources are.  Since the efficiency of his entire operation depends upon the faithfulness of his workers, he would rather have a few reliable workers than several that he cannot count on .  Nehemiah required an oath of cooperation from the rulers, nobles, and people.

...but an Organizer has to guard against favoritism.

An organizer in charge of a work may single out individuals who he thinks are especially important to his goals and show them favoritism or partiality.  If he is not in charge, he may cause disharmony by openly expressing frustration.

3.  Organizers are able to delegate.

An organizer knows which tasks to delegate and which he must do himself.  He also is able to sense which workers need more assistance than others.  Organizers are able to naturally maintain a continued accountability with their workers.  Nehemiah delegated the building of the walls, but he retained responsibility for dealing with the enemies.

....but an Organizer must not use delegation to avoid work.

When a person with the gift of organization is not in charge, it is easy for him to delegate his responsibilities to others.  His authority and others may then react to him and accuse him of laziness and irresponsibility.  

4.  An Organizer withstands reaction to tasks.

Once an organizer commits himself to a task, he is willing to endure much opposition, which may come from insiders or outsiders.  Nehemiah responded to persistent opposition from outside enemies and from fellow workers.

...an Organizer can become unresponsive to appeals.

When an organizer who is in charge of a project rejects valid suggestions or refuses to listen to grievances, pressures result.  These cause him to become harsh or even to resign.  When an organizer is not responsive to directions from his authorities, he must be disciplined.  If he reacts, he will build patterns of resentment and pride.

5.  An Organizer is able to make jobs look easy.

An organizer has the ability to take seemingly impossible tasks and break them down into achievable goals.  Nehemiah took the huge task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and broke it down into smaller sections that each family or group was able to complete.

....however, an Organizer can put projects ahead of people.

When an organizer reacts to people who do not have his spiritual gift, he is usually focusing on their inefficiency and disorganization.  By reacting, he overlooks their real needs and potential and damages important relationships and the potential ministry that God intended for him.

6.  An Organizer is very alert to details.

An organizer notices what others might consider insignificant factors; he knows these are essential components of the successful completion of the project.  He also tends to remove himself from distracting details in order to focus on the ultimate goal.  Nehemiah did not get involved in actual building; he removed the obstacles, such as financial pressures, which would have hindered the workers.

....but an Organizer can overlook workers' serious faults.

If an organizer is given a position of authority in the local church, he will appoint workers on the basis of their ability to get the job done. If serious character flaws are discovered in a valuable worker, the organizer will be reluctant to dismiss him.  Failure to do so, however, will communicate approval and acceptance of the behavior and will cause reaction or irritation in others.

7.  An Organizer completes tasks quickly.

The efficiency of organizers begins before they even start a project as they check out and secure needed resources.  Before the building began, Nehemiah secured timber from the king's forest.  Organizers place workers according to their strengths and weaknesses so that maximize productivity can be achieved.

...but sometimes an Organizer fails to explain or praise.

When an organizer is put in charge of several people to accomplish a job, he may give instructions without explanation.  This neglect causes fellow workers to feel like pawns in a chess game.  Their feelings of being used are intensified if they are not given proper praise or appreciation when the work is done.

8.  An Organizer is able to be decisive.

Because the organizer clearly visualizes the final goal, he is able to quickly evaluate requests and situations and make firm decisions.  Nehemiah was often urged by his enemies to have a conference with them.  His refusal was firm.

....but an Organizer tends to force his decision on others.

An organizer may misuse his special abilities of persuasion and decisiveness by coercing others to help him achieve personal ambitions.  They can also be misused on legitimate jobs through insensitivity to the schedules, weariness, or personal priorities of the workers.

9.  An Organizer involves others in cleanup.

In an organizer's mind, the job is not finished until everything is back in place.  He will inspire and encourage workers to complete a job by approval, praise, reproof, and challenge.  The organizer's final joy comes when he sees all the parts come together.  It does not matter to him if others appreciate the job as long as he knows it was accomplished according to the plans laid out.

....but an Organizer tends to lose interest in a finished job.

An organizer is fulfilled when he sees a job completed.  However, before moving on to a new job, he must make proper provision for maintenance of the completed job.  When this trait is carried over into the personal life of an organizer, he is seldom content with the things that he has or that he has done.

Who are the Organizers in your life?  An organizer will seldom volunteer their gift, they need to be asked.  Look for the organizers in your life and use them.  They are so important in a church body to keep things functioning on time and in order.  They also often carry the vision for the future and know the actions needed to get there.