Anthony Delgado has a wonderful wife and three children. Anthony directs Youth Ministry at To exhort is to advise or admonish. The tendency from within the church is to look at exhortation as a gift for calling out someones sin. But, it is far more than that. Exhortation is also advising. Exhortation can include counsel and encouragement. It does not necessarily have to be focused on issues of sin.
The defining characteristic of the spiritual gift of exhortation is that you recognize someones need for admonishment (calling out of sin), encouragement or counsel. If someone comes to you and asks for these things, that is not exhortation.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews ends his letter with a statement, “Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter” (Hebrews 13.22). The book of Hebrews includes all sorts of admonishment, advise, encouragement, counsel and even theological clarification. The author of the book seems to have had the gift of exhortation and he recognizes it.
If exhortation has come up on your spiritual gifts test, you may have the spiritual gift of exhortation. I have witnessed exhortation amount youth as they challenge each other on sin issues. I have also witnessed it as they provide advise on various life situations. If you believe that you have this gift, it is your responsibility to use it to challenge, encourage and counsel other youth and God has gifted you to be able to do so.