If you find yourself asking, "should I try to increase my empathic ability?" The question is why? One answer could be "to help people." Again, the question is why? Helping people is altruistic enough, but why do we want to help people?
When I follow this line of thinking myself, often what I am feeling is a need to be appreciated, to feel valuable, to contribute. Sometimes, I feel like I need someone else to praise me. We all need to feel appreciated and valuable to be healthy, and these are perfectly valid reasons for pursuing a wide variety of activities in life.
However, in service to God, we must always remember - "To God be the glory." Spiritual gifts are given us by God. They are not achieved, but received. God chooses us to receive a specific spiritual gift, we do not decide. We must trust that God gives us a gift in the fullest measure that we will need to accomplish His will. We also must trust that God will lead us to experiences and opportunities for spiritual growth as He requires and as we are ready.
Additionally, there is the question of how would we go about increasing our empathic ability if we were certain that we should. There are many proposals and guidelines online for how to do this. I'm guessing most of the guidelines have little or nothing to do with God.
Discernment and prayer are critical in the process of understanding your spiritual gift. Pray for help to:
- understand the nature of your gift
- confirm that empathy is your primary spiritual gift
- understand what type of ministry/service you are being called to
- recognize the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life
1 Corinthians 12: 11 NIV
All these [spiritual gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
I know with everything in me I am an empath. It is sown in my DNA. Coupled with that I know I have the gift of discernment. But what I find to be difficult for me is being judgmental and shut out people in my life. I can come across harsh and cruel sometimes, but I know I have the gift of empathy. Its curious to me that sometimes my behavior is complete opposite of my gifts.
ReplyDeleteI know having discernment does not mean I can go around judging people. Even though I see deeper into a situation than most, I find myself turning into a know it all. I am kind of chucking right now at myself! I am an empath that finds sometimes lacking in compassion and someone with discernment being judgmental.
I am at the place where I know I need seek the Lord about this. I wonder if this is common for empaths. I have heard of actors being uncomfortable of being in front of cameras and performers having stage fright. I just want my behavior to reflect who I really am.
I think you're onto something! I can be distant and uninvolved in the lives of others. I'm sure some people would never describe me as empathic and might even say I'm self-absorbed. I have both flaws and gifts. Some people see more one than the other, and sometimes I am residing more in one than the other. My current quest is to improve my physical, mental, and spiritual health so I can be more open to the Holy Spirit working in my life and guiding me with respect to my gifts.
ReplyDeleteI've had empathy for years, pretty much all my life. It is so natural for me that I didn't know it was even a gift. I thought everyone had it until today when I found out that 1, its a gift, and 2 not everyone has it.
ReplyDeleteI had this gift even before I got saved, which confuses me. why would god give me something like that before I came to the lord?
And it shames me now to think how I misused it in the past to hurt people. If your a strong empath you know exactly how to hurt someone, even the strongest of people you can get through to them and hurt them in ways they didn't even know you could. Which again bring up the question why was i given this gift before I found the lord?
And lastly, for anyone wanting this my only words to them are be careful not only on how you use it [like mentioned above] but also you can be, ummm let me think how to explain this. You bring onto or into yourself that which is effecting the ones you wish to help. Don't let it over power you to that point. Trust me I've been there and done that.
I always knew I was different, weird even...wired differently. And like you I had my gift long before being saved by the Lord or even understanding why I was given this ability. Sometimes its awesome and sometimes its draining, hurtful and yes you can "absorb" to the point of a mental breakdown. I remain a recluse, introverted about my gift even with my church family because I dont want anyone taken advantage of something they cant understand. Im a healer and I cant just walk up and say "Be gone cancer" and lay hands on the intended. I deal primarily with the emotional pain and suffering. There are times when I just know who God wants me to heal, and that is the only time I expose myself. I am fairly young in my ability, I don't seek to "grow" it or "gain from it" I do seek understanding of why me, Lord. The people that I help are not always ready and it takes months, years dealing with their pain to release it, but I still receive confirmations that I am doing His work. You do have to have a giving spirit, one who will sacrifice itself to do the Lords work above and beyond all prejudices and intentions. Others will question your motives and you must be firm and grounded that your work is not of self, but of the Lord.
DeleteYou mean it is normal to be over come by others around you? What if you can't control it? I started noticing at the age of 8, it got worse at the age of 13. I am now 25 and being in groups of 30 or more people for more than half an hour makes me sick and its like being tugged in different directions emotionally. A few years back I researched stuff about feeling others and only came up with 'magic' as they put it to control which is not an option. EVER! Hoping to find the answers, and if I cant then at least I know a few answers. *bow* Thank you in advance and God bless.
DeleteI am thirteen and just recently found out my spiritual gift. It is difficult for me not only in the aspect that I am having trouble dealing with all of these unknown emotion but also because empaths are so often misunderstood by the church. I just want to say that knowing that there are other people out there with the same gift/curse is comforting.
ReplyDeleteI only recently heard a description of an empath and it explained so much. I've tried to find ways to close it off for most of my life. I've tried counseling, medications, and became antisocial at times. It's been extremely painful. I would like to understand it better to have a life that's more at peace. I feel like it's been a battle and I've asked God to take the gift away. I don't feel a closeness with God. I'm thinking that being more open to this gift may help that.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are an Empath you may become self-absorbed or a loner because like me if you shut people out you can protect yourself or if you build walls (like me) you won't feel other peoples pain. I was about 11 years old when I first noticed this gift however I did not know it was a gift until this week and I am 60 years old now. I am so sensitive that one night my husband's dream passed to me. He dreamed he was fighting bees and he told me to get back and in my dream a bee went down my shirt. When it went down my shirt I hit myself and I woke up and that's when we discovered the transferred (as I call it)dream. For everyone GOD gave you this gift no matter when you got it and only GOD can lead you in how you to use it for His glory and purpose. You will know when you need to minister to someone else. You will not be able to put your hands or comfort someone who will not receive it. Also remember that the feelings that you feel can quite often belong to someone else they are not yours. Don't own them and don't hold on to them. Search hard to find out what emotions and feelings are yours and NO you are not crazy and you don't need medicine just open the Bible your answers are there.
ReplyDeletehi I recently found the word empath, I was searching for the word for the gift that I have. someone told me EMAPTH IS FROM THE DEVIL AND NOT GOD , I don't believe that, can someone give me some insight about the topic please thank you!
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe it either. At this moment in time this is how I see it. Often even Christian leaders can fear what they don’t understand and just be wrong . But there is no point in getting mad at someone else’s ignorance. As an empath you are sensitive to peoples feelings, motives, genuineness. You may also may be more sensitive to spirtual things. This can happen even before you are saved. What does that mean for you as a Christian. Their are many Christian leaders that had leadership skills even before they were saved. That goes the same for you. To say one is a gift and the other is from the devil is not right. At least that how I see it.
DeleteI think I was an empath since I was little, I use to and still do have dreams that seem real. I also had dream of seeing Jesus Christ, twice I saw him looking at me and smiling and remembering what a Peace I felt when I saw him. And also had a dream of God himself also of angels. I had dreams of wars, I also had a dream of plains crashing building for many years and everytime I would wake up I would wake up excaxtly at the same time 1:11 am. I felt something bad was going to happen and it did. September 11, 2001. Look at the numbers and the time I use to wake up exactly 1:11. I had many vivid dreams. I also had dreams of death and I had a feeling someone was going to die. And it was always 2 days later someone died. A friend I knew or a family member. I couldn’t be around ppl that had terrible attitudes their negativity was to intense for me and it use to give me stomach aches. I felt and still do feel evil around me, I feel when ppl are lying and most of the time I am right. A few months before I was saved a had 3 rapture dreams. Know I am a Christian and use the gift for God cause he gave it to me, even before I wasn’t saved. He always had a plan for me and I trust in the lord, and with the lord help now I know how to control it much better and he put so much love, peace , joy and forgiveness in my heart I am getting along better with ppl. And learning to be around them the ones that are negative. And love being with my brothers and sisters in Christ and the pastor they make me feel so loved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and for this. Gift! Amen!
ReplyDeleteAs a christian i have the gift of discernment. The holy spirit guides & enables the gift. I experience & can absorb others emotions when God is leading me to intercessory prayer, or to witness, counsel or comfort. I have been called an empath many times in the secular world. Simply Not true my gift is from God not Satan. It is a gift not a curse.
ReplyDeleteAn empath is tortured by absorbing everyones emotions all the time & that would be a curse.
A gift from the Holy Spirit is a gift & is used for a purpose.