What is my personal calling? How does an individual know what specific role they play? The church carries God's Mission. The church is made of many parts. Some are called to be pastors, teachers, encouragers, givers, servers, etc. To understand what role we play, we must realize what gifts God has given us. If God wanted you to be an encourager he would have given you that gift. While you might want a different role, God has made you with specific functions in mind. We make up the body of Christ. We all can't be the brain, or the hands. We must know where we fit in, what function we serve, not just in our local church but elsewhere too.
God has given everyone three things: gifts, talents, and resources. If God wanted someone to be a giver, he would have placed them with the gift of generosity, a talent in making money, and the actual resource of money. If God wanted someone to be a teacher he would have given them the gift of teaching, talents such as public speaking, and resources of knowledge like mentors, seminaries or Bible studies.
What is my personal calling? This is answered when you consider and understand your gifts, talents and resources. Only then will you know how you personally fit into God's Mission. You must not only know your calling, but believe it and carry it out.
Interact with Scripture/QuestionsRead Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Cor. 12:12-31. How does the body of Christ function?
List gifts, talents, and resources.
Where do you fit into God's Mission, what is your role?
What is God teaching about himself in these passages?
Prayer: Ask God to help you understand the gifts, talents and resources he has given you so that you can know your calling.
Scripture ReferencesRom 12:[4] Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. [7] If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; [8] if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
1CO 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1CO 12:14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. [15] If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? [18] But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. [19] If they were all one part, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
1CO 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1CO 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. [28] And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30] Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? [31] But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
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