Purpose & Calling
I keep wondering whether God has given me something specific to do. How would I even find out what my gift is?
“And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;”
Israel is building the tabernacle in the desert, and the text pauses to name the craftsman in charge of it. Bezaleel is described as filled with God's Spirit specifically for design, metalwork and carving. It is the first time in scripture that phrase is used of anyone at all, and it is used of an artisan. Skill, in this telling, is not a lesser category of calling.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Peter writes to scattered believers under real pressure, and his instruction about gifts is strikingly undramatic. Everyone has received something, and the point of it is other people. There is no hierarchy of impressive gifts here, and no search you must complete before you are permitted to begin. The gift gets identified in the using of it rather than in advance.
A path forward
Ask three people who have watched you serve what they notice you are good at. Most people cannot see their own gifts, but others name them easily.
Volunteer for something in your church for a fixed three months, with permission to stop at the end. Gifts surface through trying, not through introspection.
Write down, for a month, what leaves you energised rather than drained after you have done it for someone else. That pattern is worth praying over.
Closing verse
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:7
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