In Spite of Myself

I've been doing some research on spiritual gifts to try to figure out what it is exactly that I do. Every since I was a child, I have had this ability to know when something is wrong with someone (it's like a flashing red light to me, even though no one else seems to be able to tell). Not only do I know something is wrong, I also know exactly what it is that the person needs (to help them spiritually). I believe that this might have something to do with the word of knowledge mentioned in scripture, since God gives me information that I could not otherwise know. I do not hear an audible voice or anything like that, I just know things. It seems that what I do involves a gift in the area of exhortation as well. These two things work together. Exhortation is all good and well, but one must have the knowledge of what another needs spiritually in order to properly exhort them. I am constantly humbled that God uses me in this way. I am far from the perfect Christian, but I know that God uses me in spite of myself. I think he chooses to do that based on what we read in I Corinthians 1:26-31, which have become my life verses. 

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Below is one definition I found for the word of knowledge. Let me know your thoughts on the topic.

Word of Knowledge

This gift is mentioned only in I Corinthians 12:8, 13:2(?), 8-10, and 14:6. To "know" something, of course, means to grasp certain information. The identification "word of knowledge" reveals this to be a speaking gift, the speaking forth of that knowledge to others. As explained above, it is revelatory knowledge that is in view, knowledge received directly from God, not attained by normal methods of research and learning. In those days before the availability of Scripture, the church relied upon men to deliver Divine Truth directly from God; a man gifted with the word of knowledge was such a man. This gift is similar to the gift of prophecy, differing perhaps in that this gift lacked the ability to foretell the future as could the prophets. More than likely, as the name of the gift suggests, to the one with the word of knowledge God also gave great insight and understanding of truth that had already been revealed. This knowledge would have been revelatory as well.

The men with the gift of knowledge simply delivered and explained God's truth to the church. God gave them the knowledge, and they relayed it to the church. Paul's frequent references to receiving and delivering a divine "mystery" (secret) serve as good examples of this gift (e.g., Ephesians 3:1-5 and I Corinthians 15:51). God simply informed him of the otherwise unknowable truth which he was to deliver to the church.

Many people today are given a great capacity for understanding Divine Truth, but this understanding is attained only by effort in the normal processes of learning. This gift of knowledge needed no such effort: the truth was simply revealed by God.