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Have you ever found yourself wondering what your purpose is in life? What specific gifts has God given you in order for you to carry out His great commission? 1st Corinthians chapter twelve lists the spiritual gifts that God has granted to His children so that they might do His will: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:7-10). However, at this point in many of our lives, can we honestly say that we fully know and understand which of these gifts God has given to us?

 

I often find myself becoming frustrated over what I see as my lack of spiritual gifts. I start to look at other people my age (or even those younger or older), and wonder, “Now, why can’t I do that?” How does God plan to use me to further His kingdom if I do not have any of those “great gifts?”

 

The answer to my question lies in that same chapter of Corinthians: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Corinthians 4-6). In that same chapter, Paul goes on to explain to the Corinthians that all of us make up the body of Christ here on this earth. He asks, what kind of body would we be if we were all one part? For this reason, I cannot compare myself to someone with different spiritual gifts, because God will use both of us, but in different ways.

 

However, I still do not feel like I have any of the gifts which Paul calls “spiritual gifts,” and, thus, feel as inadequate as I did when I compared myself with others. A friend of mine once told me to think of spiritual gifts this way: each part of the body of Christ fulfills a spiritual gift, but in different ways. For example, the gift of the interpretation of tongues; two different parts of Christ’s body—the ears and the mouth—possess that gift, but use that gift in different ways. Neither is greater than the other, but both are different; one must hear the words to interpret, and the other must interpret what is heard.

 

I cannot look at myself and say that I do not possess a spiritual gift. I may not know what my ultimate purpose is at this point in my life, but I know I am only a small part of the greater picture. I firmly believe that God has given each of us specific talents and abilities which will one day lead us so that we may find our true spiritual gift. As of this point in my life, I have not figured out exactly what my spiritual gift is. I probably will not know until I step out into God’s mission field to allow Him to lead my life in a certain direction. However, I do feel that God wants me to use my God-give talents and abilities to begin my journey through my adult life. I believe that God wants us to act as good stewards of the abilities and talents He has given us, to not waste them or throw them away, but to use them to His glory.

 

God is still preparing me so that I may use my spiritual gift to spread His word. It is not my place to worry about what spiritual gifts I do or do not possess. In John 15:16, Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”  God chose me to do His will the moment I was born. I may not always understand it, nor may I know what spiritual gifts God has given me. However, I know that God has a purpose for my life and will use me in ways greater than I could ever image. Just trust Him; He will do the same for you. Do not worry right now about whether you are adequate enough to serve in God’s mission field. God does not call the equipped, but rather equips the called. He will find ways for you to serve that may be different than what you expect, but which are important nonetheless. Do not ignore the small talents and abilities God has blessed you with; He will use those to help you fulfill your spiritual gift!

 

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