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“When your gifts and natural skills collide with your deepest burdens—you have calling.”

A thought by Gabe Lyons (2010-10-05) in his book, The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America (p. 124). Doubleday Religion. Kindle Edition.

Maybe you are searching for your purpose in living as you go into the new year.  Maybe you have been wandering and wondering through 2011 but you want 2012 to be different.  Now this is a good time to sit down with a yellow pad or your notes on your iPhone and start to do some God-directed thinking.

A good place to start is evaluating your gifts.  I’m not talking about your Christmas gifts but those Spiritual gifts that God gave you when you became a Christian.  Check on the internet for a good Spiritual gifts test or go to your local Christian book store or ask your pastor. 

Take that test and then do some self-assessment of your natural abilities.  Ask yourself and some of your closest honest friends, “What am I good at?”  That may be hard for you to do but it is an important step in this process.

And then ask yourself, “What is it that really moves my heart?”  Or as Gabe Lyons puts it, “What is your deepest burden?”  Mine has always been for people who are confused about life.  I have a deep burden for them.  So what is it that really moves you that you want to do something about? 

Rick Warren has a SHAPE process - Spiritual gifts…Heart (what you love)…Abilities…Personality …Experiences (what have you gone through in your life) to help you in finding God’s calling/purpose on your life.

You see God has built you for a reason and that is your calling.  I believe that God has called each one of us to make a difference with our lives.  Knowing what that is makes life so much more meaningful than just living for one’s self. 

So spend some time with the Lord and let Him lead you through a time of soul search and self-evaluation.  He does have a calling for your life and He wants you to know it and to live it.

So why don’t you start today?           
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