Opinion Poll: God's Calling & God-Given Gifts

[Krista Dunk]

Hello Marketplace Leaders,

 

I would greatly appreciate your feedback on a survey question I am working on.

 

What have you seen (in others) or experienced (yourself) when a person remains unaware of God's calling in their lives, or of the gifts He has given them?

 

Thank you so much!

 

Krista Dunk

Koinonia Business Women

www.KBWomen.com

www.YourEverydayCalling.com

 

[Os Hillman]

Please see my Blog post on Understanding Your Purpose

[Rick Ewen]

My experience is that people who are unaware of God's calling on their lives go through life like a ship without a rudder. They always seem to be frustrated or disappointed and tend to watch with envy when they see others operating in their gifting. When you confront them with this and try to get them to realize that they are in fact gifted with SOMETHING and try to encourage them, they usually respond with disbelief and tend to sell themselves short. I have one brother in the Lord who has the gift of hospitality and helps. He is the first one to respond when someone is in need and readily offers up his home if need be to assist the person. However, when you try to point out that this is his area of gifting, he blows it off by simply saying "Aw, it's just something I do. It's not a gift." There seems to be a blind area that doesn't let them see their own value in the Lord.

[Krista Dunk]

Good points Rick - thank you!

[Os Hillman]

When you involve yourself in activities contrary to this purpose, you

 begin to live a life of sweat and toil that leads to slavery instead of reaching the Promised Land of His rest
 get off course from achieving the intended destiny for your life
 produce dead works instead of the fruit of obedience rooted in your purpose
 potentially lose your reward because you are involved in activity God never orchestrated.

Each of us must ask why we are involved in an activity. Is it a God-activity, or just a good activity? Remember, Jesus only did something if He saw the Father doing it—and He was able to see what His Father was doing because of His intimate relationship with Him.

[Krista Dunk]

Yes and amen to that Os!

[Jan-Derick Nel]

Krista
Thank you for the thoughtful question. I thought about an appropriate answer but I think that the question has to be different. I think we need to ask how do we remain aware and centered as well as assist others to also become more aware?
I this regard I always ask myself whether I am true to that which has been revealed or am I being mediocre?

[Tonia Scott]

I find that people who are not aware of God's calling in their lives continue to seek for things that are outside of themselves for peace, identity, purpose. I also find that they usually know the answers (rather they identify it as God's calling or not), but don't know the process in how to apply or know what to do with it.

[Krista Dunk]

Good thoughts Jan-Derick & Tonia - thank you for commenting!

[Lisa Cooper]

I aspire to be a person that recognizes and affirms the callings that are placed on people's lives. It is so powerful to offer an exhortation to someone - whether they are currently serving the Lord or not - of who you see they are in the Spirit and how you see them fulfilling the calling that you recognize. It is especially wonderful when it connects with the desires that God has placed in their heart. I have found that it can be an awesome way of gently watering seed :)

[Krista Dunk]

Yes Lisa...Agreed!