Becoming Fully Integrated - Part 2: Discovering what apostles do
Doing that very first spiritual gifts test, revealed to myself things that I have been doing intuitively all along -- but never knowing they were separate and distinct spiritual gifts with different functions and purposes.
If you want to walk in the fullness of who you've been called to be, then it's important to know what each gift does and how it functions – both by itself and with the other gifts.
The #1 gift at the top of my list was a word I had heard in church -- but had no grid for. Yet I had zero understanding of what it meant or implied.
Apostleship.
I knew Peter and Paul...and the crew were all apostles, but there was no meaning attached to what that meant for me in the current modern day. I actually didn’t really think this was applicable to me at all.
But...I was intrigued.
Wonder had been cracked open and it was worth exploring.
I knew enough to know that it would be wise to do some investigating, to better understand what this gift was, since I clearly had no clue. He says that his people perish for a lack of knowlege. He doesn't want you to stay ignornatn of spiritutal truths.
Isn't that kind of God? To leave us a little breadcrumb that piques our interest, as His way of inviting us into a deeper conversation, of unfolding revelation, that draws us into the things He really wants to speak to us about.
Diving into the 5-fold gifts:
I didn’t know it then, but this one little word would lead me into a divine treasure hunt over the next few years, to discover more deeply keys that unlocked the core of who I am, in ways that had not been touched before with personality or leadership assessments.
After doing this first spiritual gifts test, I then did another one to learn more about this “apostle” stuff. With a quick Google search, I stumbled upon the APEST 5-Fold Test by Tim Morris of Design Discovery which ended up being life-changing for me. What God has shown Tim about how each apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, or teacher is designed to operate, is unlike anything else I have ever seen anyone talk about when it comes to spiritual gifts and the 5-fold.
He is particularly anointed to help apostles and prophets discover how they are uniquely designed, and what your heart needs at each stage of the journey so you don't fall into the common traps of the enemy as an apostle or prophet.
After hiring him as a coach and working with him over the past 3 years, I'd highly recommend him if you are a Kingdom visionary leader. Even if you're not a Kingdom leader, run don't walk to take his test - it will give you so much revelation about why you act, think, and behave the way you do.
Characteristics of Apostles:
I’ve since come to learn that apostles mean ‘sent ones’. This means they often innately like to travel, love different cultures, they’re usually very entrepreneurial, and they are big-picture visionaries.
They are also multi-talented and multi-gifted…sound familiar??
Because they can do many things at a high level, they often get confused about what they are actually called to do.
They are also builders (often pioneers); they're tenacious in their vision, and know how to put the pieces together. They can get bored easily once they’ve built something and gotten it off the ground - because they’re then ready to build the next thing. Wow! This was explaining so much about my life.
They are bold leaders.
They see the world through a very different lens than most people and as such – come up against a very unique set of challenges, that not everyone can relate to.
I know for some of you reading this, the lights might be starting to click on for you now, too. You're recognizing yourself in some of the traits I'm sharing.
Apostles also need safe spaces to process - because visionaries can’t share their vision with just anyone.
Especially when a vision is in its early stages, if you share it with the wrong people at the wrong time, your dream will quickly get assassinated by their words and their unbelief (even though that’s not their intention).
Apostles are often pioneering - meaning they do things no one else has done yet, so it's vital that they have a safe space to share their vision and process what’s going on internally, so that they can get clarity on how to execute their vision in the way they’ve been uniquely wired to build.
When you know how to reverse engineer the exact dynamics that help you be fully alive -- then that's the recipe for being highly effective at what you're doing. When you have this knowledge, you have the power to run after what you're called to, with full attention and energy.
I’ve come to see and believe in the power of doing things intentionally, instead of just accidentally intuitively.
Intentionality is an accelerant when you're building something new.
The tests I did were -
APEST 5-fold test - by Tim Morris
SQ (Spiritual Intelligence) Test - by Kris Vallotton
I would recommend doing them in this order, as they move from general to specific and they build upon each other in terms of depth and revelation.
I’m sharing this part of my journey with you - because I believe it will be massively transformational for you too. Even if you’ve done all the leadership assessments and personality tests, I highly recommend trying these as well. I know it will unlock something deeper and more meaningful for you.
The processof Intentionality:
Intentionality all starts with awareness first, which is why doing tests like this is helpful to make you aware of what gifts you carry.
Then second, you name and get specific in how your gifts operate in you specifically. Then, lastly, you have to try it out and experiment with this knowledge for yourself so that you know firsthand how you actually operate best.
You go through a period of tweaking and refining, to uncover what works for you. I love helping people in this stage.
This process requires courage, intentionality, and oftentimes (most importantly) - slowing down enough to observe what’s working and what's not.
Do you feel out of alignment?
I've found that my people - 6- and 7-figure Kingdom entrepreneurs are often in a sabbatical season, where they know they are scaling to the next level, they can sense that God wants to do more in their business and through them, but they can't yet see the path of how to get there.
They've been successful - but something feels off about the way they want to scale. Internally, they know they are not in full alignment spiritually but aren't sure what exactly is off.
They recognize there's value in slowing down to figure out what is out of alignment and why, before trying to rush on to the next stage.
They are being hit with lots of 'shoulds' from well-meaning people about what they should do or what new marketing strategy they should utilize, but they want to realign and figure out the way Heaven has for them to build in this season.
They may be taking time off, to hear from God and get clarity about His next steps.
They know what got them here, but won't get them there (to where they're going). They've done the work to heal and they know a lot about Who God has called them to be. They're fairly confident in who they are and what they carry -- but still, something is missing.
They know they haven't yet found the keys that unlock their next season. These are my people.
You might be pivoting, processing, or re-dreaming so that you can shift into your next.
Having made many a pivot in my life - from different industries to living in different countries, to working in and on different businesses, I can tell you that you need someone to come alongside you and act like a spiritual midwife in the transition. It makes it a whole lot easier and way less lonely and frustrating.
You need the right person to support you in the process.
I love stepping in during this season of shifting and recalibration, to help leaders and pioneers move into the next version of themselves in the way that is most aligned with Heaven so that you can find what is deeply life-giving for you and the way you are called to build.
If any of this resonates with you, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to email me or send me a DM on Instagram @Iman_cooper and share what's coming up for you.
Cheering you on!
Iman