Calling and Giftedness

Now I understand God calls us all to certain things. God calls us all to have a relationship with Him. God calls us all to love Him and other people. However, I believe there are times where God calls us individually to something specific.

There was a reason Jesus chose 12 men to be His disciples during His ministry. Was He calling everybody to love Him and love other people? Yes, but Jesus only called 12 specific men to have the job of His disciples.

There have been a couple of times in my life where I knew God was calling me to something specific. I knew way back in high school that God was calling me into ministry. Also, about 15 months ago I knew that God was calling me specifically to be the youth minister at fairfield first Assembly. For you, God’s calling might be why you have chosen to work as a teacher, a doctor, or a stay-at-home mom.

I have come to believe that there is a direct relationship between God’s calling and giftedness. That essentially boils down to the fact that when God calls you to something specific, God will equip you with the gifts to do that. Why? Because His name is on the line. If you tell everybody “God called me to be a ________” and you bomb miserably at ________, God is the one who looks like He doesn’t know what He’s doing. Whether it is through gifts that you naturally have or through gifts that God supernaturally equips you with, God will gift you to do what He has called you to do.

The biggest problem that can come in the way of this process is you and I. The biggest way you and I can get in the way and mess this process up manifests itself through our selfishness. Often times I have to question myself on my motives. Remember to always put everything through the Strainer.

I have seen way too many examples of people getting into something because of their own desire and calling it God’s calling. Let’s take ministry for example: someone declares to the world that God has called them into youth ministry. Diving a little deeper you see somebody who experienced love and acceptance for the first time as a member of their youth group. You see someone who was loved and rescued by his/her youth minister. Now that person selfishly desires to continue those feelings of love and acceptance and also wants to be the hero youth minister to other lost, lonely kids. That person is not good with people, has a hard time connecting with people, gets terribly nervous in front of people, and likes to go to bed at 9:30pm. I’m sorry but that is not God’s calling, that is a selfish desire.

It is the same way why God is not calling me to be a professional hockey player. I don’t know the rules. I could not put the equipment on the right way. I don’t know how to properly handle the puck. I can’t even ice skate! God’s calling and giftedness goes hand-in-hand.

Let me encourage you today to listen to God’s specific calling for your life. He has a plan for you. He has hard-wired you and gifted you to do something great for the Kingdom.