There are three words I will use today which are all related.
- Gift
- Passion
- Calling
I believe knowing what your God-given gift/passion/callings are will help you in all areas of life. Part of healthy living depends on you knowing what these are. We all have a responsibility to use and share our gifts with others. Whether your gift is being a homemaker, a writer, someone who works in retail, a carpenter, painter, plumber or someone in guest services. The point is we’ve all been given Gifts and now it’s our job to use them to better our lives and the people that surround us.
Some of you might know exactly what your gift is and some of you are thinking, “How do I know?” or “How can I find out?” Others yet will ask, “What is the difference between a gift and talent?”
I had these same questions and before I heard this from a speaker, “Talent is something you’re good at and a Gift is something you’re passionate about.” The word passion means: A powerful emotion, compelling feeling, boundless enthusiasm or desire for something. To put it plainly, it’s a part of who you are. God designed you with this emotion/enthusiasm and also designed you to have more than one gift/passion.
Just think about the words above for a minute, “A boundless enthusiasm or desire for something.” Imagine the impact you could have on people’s lives by choosing to live each day using your gift/passions. We influence those all around us on a day-to-day basis. This is true no matter who you are or if you’re using your passion or not.
You have the option and opportunity to influence. This could be in a good, constructive, positive, helpful and loving way because you are happier and living your passion. Or, you can be angry, depressed, lonely and helpless having a negative attitude towards life. People around you will either be rewarded or pulled down by your choice which is why we have a responsibility to use our gifts.
Inner strength has so much to do with finding or knowing your calling. Why? It takes strength, persistence and everything you have to, find out your calling and then once you’ve found it, use it.
People aren’t always kind and neither is your mind. At times you will be discouraged because you don’t know your purpose and at others, you might be discouraged because you’re not sure how to pursue or use it once you’ve found it. When going through these tough moments, have the strength and remember it’s worth it!
Everyone has problems, hurts, and concerns. Are you willing to wallow in self-pity or are you going to rise and be the person you’re intended to be?
There’s nothing more rewarding than being a part of something bigger than yourself. It might take a career change, a move, or maybe nothing that extreme, but it will take you looking outside that comfortable box you’ve been living in, the one you don’t want to change or crawl out of.
With that being said I want you to evaluate your life right now. Are you happy and using your gift/passion/calling? If yes, I encourage you to keep growing and use them for good. If your answer is no, then take a leap of faith and start. Whether you realize it or not, you were created for something bigger than yourself.
We’ve all been at the other end of someone who’s not happy or not using their gifts and it’s not a nice place to be. Responsibility creates the character, character creates leaders, and leaders create the world we live in. What you do and how you use your calling will have an impact, and not just on you.“It’s not titles that honor men but the men that honor titles” -Niccolo Machiavelli.
These honorable men and woman who have used their God-given gifts we love and read about in history have found their purpose in life and never looked back.
Finding your calling will set you free, help you to feel fulfilled and leave you excited. Even when hard times come you will smile because you know what your calling is.
Now, we still must discuss the question of how do I know what my calling is? Let’s look at the definition of the word, Calling.
In the Merriam Webster’s dictionary, calling means: A strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence. This goes beyond the definition of a passion. We’re talking about an “inner impulse” for something. That means it’s a part of who we are and something we were born with.
When people ask me how they can find out what their calling is, I ask them a few questions and a light bulb goes on. Here are some of those questions.
- What have you loved since you were a child?
- If money wasn’t an object, what would you choose to do and be?
- What makes your heart race and brings a smile just when you think about it, or do it?
- What do you feel you can’t live without?
There are other questions a person could ask, but these are a start to discovering what your calling is. Prayer will also help you. When you have this burning desire to do and be more than you are right now, start with prayer. If God implanted this calling into your very being, then he can certainly bring it to life if you ask him.
To know your calling is something we all try to discover in our lifetime. Some of us are fortunate enough to discover it early while others never do. So dig deep and discover what yours is.
When that burning desire comes, don’t push it away, don’t tell it to come back when it’s more convenient. Embrace it, and you will change the world.
Rise and be heard, change, grow, do what you were made to do and you will add to the world instead of taking away from it. Grow in the promise that you were created to be something bigger than yourselves.
Each one of you has your own special, beautiful gifts already installed and now it’s up to you to find out what they are and use them.
Here’s to you and knowing your calling.
-Heather Earles
To look up scripture that supports this belief. Go to: biblehub
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