Find Your Place • Gifts, Passion, Story

You don’t have to go from one day to the next, living with a sense that you’re missing out on the greatest adventure for which you were made—missing the mark of purpose in your life. 

Ephesians 2:10 tells us,
“We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” 

You can step into that masterpiece mission, that set body of good works prepared for you. You don’t need to wait until the next season of life or have everything figured out on day one.

You can begin today.

Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m in, but where do I begin?” 

Getting directions is easier than it’s ever been. You probably have multiple devices right now that rely on the Global Positioning System. 

Of course, you can’t find your unique calling using the GPS on your phone or watch. But we do think there’s a GPS for the soul that helps discover your purpose by exploring your gifts, passions, and story. These three signals, when triangulated by the Spirit of God, in community, can help point you in the right direction.

JAMMERS

There are GPS jammers that might trip you up along the way. Don’t give into them. 

Fear

Many people don’t move forward in exploration because they are afraid they will find something they didn’t want to see or that the greatest calling might be too difficult.

→ Reality

God loves you and wants you to live fully into what he’s planned for you. If he’s created this masterpiece mission for you, he’ll equip you for the work. 

Insecurity

Many people feel they don’t have anything of significance to offer.

→ Reality

We can’t allow our own judgment or the judgment of others to determine our value. God sees us as his beloved. Don’t underestimate the gifts and passions he’s given you, and the story he’s been writing in your life. 

Busyness

Many people would say, “I’ve just got too much going on to spend time on this right now.” They’re missing out on the extreme value.

→ Reality

Nothing is more important, meaningful, fulfilling, and valuable than stepping into your one-of-a-kind calling. It is there that you will find your greatest joys.

SIGNAL ONE: GIFTS

Did you know that you already possess two different types of gifts? One is natural, and one is supernatural. 

Natural
You may not be aware of it, but what you do well—your skills at work or a particular set of gifts you use in a hobby—God has been using these ordinary, everyday activities to prepare you for what’s coming next. Yep, you have natural talents and abilities that God will use to do greater things than you can imagine. 

Supernatural
This one might be more of a stretch for you to believe, but it’s nonetheless true. The Bible is clear. Every person who has surrendered to the lordship of Jesus is filled by the very Spirit of God. When he does this, he brings along supernatural gifts and power (1 Cor 12:4-11).

God himself has decided the gifts that each receives. We are meant to discover, develop and deploy these gifts. None of these gifts are insignificant or less valuable than another. 

• Gifts were given to make you helpful, not happy.
  1 Corinthians 12:7 says our supernatural gifts were given to help each other. Deep down, we know we experience great joy when we’re using our gifts for the sake of others. 

• Gifts foster interdependence, not independence.
  We weren’t created to live on our own but in community. As much as others need us to exercise our gifts, so we need others to exercise theirs. God designed all the gifts to work together. 

• Gifts are a means to love, more than things to love.
  In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that we should burn with zeal in pursuit of our gifts. Why? Because as we use our gifts, their purpose is to serve others in love!

What do you think are your natural and supernatural gifts? 

SIGNAL TWO: PASSIONS

What’s that thing that makes you tick? What is that thing that wakes you up in the middle of the night? What’s that thing that has your stomach in knots right now that you have to do something about? 

It might be something that feels so overwhelming, like poverty, illiteracy, or sex trafficking. It might be something that only you see in your network of relationships that you can’t really label, but you know you were made to make it right. 

Just as there are multiple gifts to consider, there are multiple passions to consider. 

People Passion

• Consider, ’What group of people do I intuitively care about deeply?’

• Is there a particular group of people that share a common identity that you sense God moving you toward for the purpose of his mission? 

• To what group of people can you become a missionary? 

• As you consider this question, begin to think,
  “With whom can I begin to spend more and more time, serving them in Jesus’ name and sharing with them his Good New?”

Cause Passion

• What group of causes lights you up?
  (Think about the broken places that you hope are
  made right while you’re still drawing breath.)

• What issue of injustice makes you want to run into battle? 

• If there was one area where you could make a difference in this world before you leave it, what would it be? 

• Short list of potential passions to get you thinking:

SIGNAL THREE: STORY

While the first two signals were “internal” in that they focused on your abilities, the final signal is “external” in that it will require you to read and interpret the details of your life journey—your unique story. 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3 that you are a letter written by the Spirit of God. In Christ, all the little stories of your life culminate in one big narrative. Your story isn’t just a list of facts and events but a grand narrative that fits into God’s larger story. 

Your story doesn’t just say, “Here’s what happened,”
but also, “here’s what mattered.”

Take out a journal and look back at the seasons (childhood, youth, young adult, etc.) of your life and think about the critical and shaping moments through two lenses:

Brokenness
What are the moments of pain, frustration, and remorse from
each season?

Blessedness
What are the moments of celebration and joy from each season? (vocational successes/relational achievements/spiritual breakthroughs)

If you’ve begun to think for the first time about your gifts, the passions that motivate you, and how they align with the story Jesus has written in your life—we want to celebrate that with you. 

Jesus wants you to help others realize their own unique masterpiece mission. That’s why he gives us this command to “Go, make disciples of all nations,” in Matthew 28. 

As you understand your calling and step into it—joining Jesus in your everyday life—you will be stepping into that greater purpose that brings you your greatest joy. By helping others do the same, you’ll be taking part in the greatest world changing mission there has ever been. 

Take the GPS Assessment and dig deeper into your personal calling  

This content is used with permission and pulled from Find Your Place, written by Brian Phipps and Rob Wegner.