What are you called to do?

As I prepare for this weeks cell group, I though I would revisit what was discussed at church last weekend. I find the topic that was spoken on being one which is practical to revisit at times. The topic in question is that of finding God's calling upon your life. It is said time and time again, but none of us have been put on this Earth for no reason. We all have a purpose, a reason for being here, goals that are set before us. But sometimes we may feel that we are unable to reach those goals, or that we are not equipped appropriately to face the battles that we are confronted with. But there is good news for anyone who is struggling with this...

Two years ago marked the final season of Brendan Fevola at Carlton. This guy was a freak when it came to kicking goals...whether he was 60m out on the boundary or laying on the ground with one leg free...he had an uncanny skill for finding the goals. He had an amazing set shot...and when he was switched on...he would excite the Blues faithful! But ultimately he got himself into trouble, gambling and alcohol were problems for him, and in the end he was sacked from the Blues. He had amazing talent...but he wasted it.

We are all blessed by God with natural and spiritual gifts. Just like no two people are the same, no two people are blessed with exactly the same gifts. But God doesnt give us these gifts for no reason, as with all things God does...there is a purpose. But beyond giving us these gifts for a purpose, God enjoys watching us discover and experience the gifts we receive. But unless we are moving in the the direction God is calling us, we are not able to make a difference around us with the gifts that we are blessed with.

Some people may ask the question what gifts have I been given or what is my purpose. I guess to answer these questions, you must look at 4 more important questions first.

1. What am I good at?
2. What am I passionate about?
3. What do I enjoy?
4. What is it that I am doing now with the gifts that God has given me?

 The final question cannot be answered until the first 3 have been answered first. It is then that you will start to see what God has given you, where your heart lies and what are your strengths and weaknesses.

In Matthew 25:14-28 we hear the parable of the talents. This is a perfect analogy for this topic of discussion. Here were three men given different talents, and we see how they used them differently based on different factors. Basically you can summarise it by saying that the attitude affected what they did and their concept of the master affected their attitude.

We need to acknowledge that there is no reason to be afraid of making mistakes with our heavenly father, for none of us are perfect and we are all bound to fall at times during our journey. For as mentioned earlier, God enjoys watching us discover our gifts, learn how to use them effectively and ultimately enjoy our talents. So how do we learn to use our gifts and talents that we receive from God?

Firstly we must accept responsibility for what God has placed in our lives. God has not called us to be survivors or live with a survival mentality. We are called to live bold and empowered lives, we are to rise up and spread the blessings of God. But if we just kick back and play it safe, how can any of that be achieved? We will not grow and ultimately we will be breaking the heart of God. You can liken it to if you were to give your best friend a gift, and they took that gift...looked at it...and then just put it to the side...neglected it...and never got to experience the joy that it could have brought their life.

In the parable, we see the wise servants had a sense of urgency, they wanted to bring profit to their master immediately. This is the same approach that God calls us to possess and this attitude brings joy and excitement to God's heart. But God doesnt select the people who appear to be the best choice, God enjoys taking the people that others deem hopeless and have given up on, and using these people for great things. Throughout the Bible there are examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things through his power and grace.

A year and a half ago, I injured my shoulder. At first I was unsure what was the problem, but when I was in the gym I seriously struggled to do almost any exercise. An issue with one part caused the whole body to suffer. You could say that one part of my body was not functioning to its potential. This is same in God's family, the body of Christ. If one of us doesnt function to our potential, the whole body suffers. This is highlighted in 1 Corinthians 12:20-23 where we read there are many parts, but one body. We are to work together for the glory of God.

We need to continually position ourselves where we can gain wisdom and encouragement from one another. This is shown in 2 Timothy 1, where Paul writes to Timothy to remind him that he is being prayed for. He encourages Timothy to use his great gifts to the full potential. This is the same message for you and I today...dont live under the radar. Rise up and put the gifts to work for God's glory. Start exercising those gifts that you have been given, for we need to possess the passion to use our gifts!

It is when we say yes and put our gifts to work that we have the opportunity for our talents to make a bigger difference and shine more and more.

For it is our willingness that releases our ability to fulfill the calling of God on our lives!