I remember it like it was yesterday.

In December of 2013, I was given the privilege of eulogizing my mother. My family, friends, and coworkers were all there to support my grieving family. It was my responsibility to remind the crowd who my mother was, who she loved, who loved her, and why her life mattered.

The reality of the situation was complex. My mother, Betsy, had suffered from dementia for over a decade. She was a single parent, but was there for me and my two sisters. My sisters modeled how to love her while I was mostly a selfish mess. As her health declined, Mother’s friends and neighbors remained good to her even as they were confused about the disease and  how to care for her. Like us, they struggled with why someone would be put through so much suffering.

We wanted people at the service to know how grateful we were for their love and support over the years. We wanted people to know that the changes they had experienced in her personality were results of the disease. We wanted people to celebrate her life. We wanted to thank God for her. And, most importantly, we wanted to point everyone there to Jesus — her Savior and ours.

The hope of the situation was as simple as it was profound. She trusted God with all her life and she loved us. She dedicated her entire adult life to raising my sisters and me. She even placed a plaque over the inside of our front door that said. “Choose this day whom you will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

In that moment, it was my job to define reality and offer hope.

This was far from easy. Just minutes before the service I was so overcome with grief I could barely talk or stand.

But in that moment God reminded me of an example of someone who, at that very same lectern, had gone from desperate grief to shining witness to the goodness of God.

God had been preparing me all my life for that moment. He shaped me through all my experiences. He had given me just the right gifts and He taught me how to use them. Then, God provided the supernatural presence of His Holy Spirit and empowered me to finish the work — to honor both Him and my mother.

The Holy Spirit allowed me to go from shaking with grief to calmly standing before everyone and saying what I’d hoped to say and much more. My nerves were not in control of me, God was. As I looked directly into the faces of my family, friends, and coworkers, I was able to enjoy telling everyone about the beautiful person Betsy was, the reality of her suffering, and the eternal hope of Jesus Christ.

I remember it like it was yesterday, and when it was over I thought to myself, “I was made to do that.” 10 years later it is still a defining moment in my life, confirming how God made me and revealing how He intends to use me in my work.

Royalty Called To Work

Everyone is made to uniquely deploy their gifts for the benefit of others. This includes you.

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  – Esther 4:14

You see, as followers of Jesus we are heirs of the King (Romans 8:17) and are formed by God (Psalm 139:14) to do the very same work that Jesus did (John 14:12). God is doing the exact same thing for you and for me in all of the work He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10) to do.

How can we know the work you are called to do? How can we be sure we are prepared?

7 Ways To Know Your Gifts

To better understand your gifts and how they apply to your work, download the worksheet at the bottom of the article and start your draft. Then, grab a trusted colleague and take them through your answers, get their feedback, and ask if you can do the same for them.

1. Made With Unique Gifts

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God made each of us in His image (Genesis 1:26) and He formed us to be unique, one of a kind. We are different physically, biologically, intellectually, emotionally, behaviorally, socially, spiritually, and experientially.

What are your most unique characteristics?

What are your most unique characteristics, gifts, and talents?

What are your Working Geniuses? To know more about the Working Genius gift assessment and to take one click here.

2. Shaping Experiences

“Is wisdom not found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” – Job 12:12

Wisdom comes through experience. Some of us can learn through books but all of us have to test our head knowledge in real life situations. We all learn the most when the stakes are high and we are challenged to do something difficult.

What experiences have given you wisdom?

3. Our Story

“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:4

Telling our story and the story of God’s work in our life helps us see how He is shaping us. Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well who had lost all her dignity and was trying to hide. But by the time their encounter was over, she went and told others, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” – John 4:29

What part of your story points you to Jesus?

How does your story point others to Jesus?

4. Inspiration

“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” - Proverbs 4:13

We all know people who have inspired us. Some from past generations and some from the present. What have you read or heard from others that you use as a motivating guide for your work?

What quotes, verses, or life lessons inspire you?

5. Collaborating With Colleagues

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”  – Proverbs 18:24

Just as we are uniquely made, so are the people we find it most fruitful to work alongside. We have all had colleagues who made us better and together we accomplished more good work than we could have on our own.

List the type of people you enjoy working with

List the attributes of individuals with whom you have collaborated effectively.

6. Made For This

“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:5  

Like using an instrument the way it was meant to be played, or hitting a long drive, or draining a shot perfectly, we get feedback when we are doing what we are designed to do. This is true when we treat others the way you want to be treated (Luke 6:31). This is true when you love others the way Jeus has loved you (John 15:12). This is true when you deploy the right gifts and wisdom to the situation at hand.

Describe a few scenarios when you experienced great satisfaction or joy from your work.

7. Your Why

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth — everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made…It is true. “You are my witnesses," declares the Lord “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” – Isaiah 43:6-10  

It is true. You were made by God to glorify Him through the unique way He has formed and shaped you. Your gifts are given to you so that you can love and serve others in ways no other person can and be a witness to the God who made you.

You are made to give a contribution to the world that impacts others for good. The combination of your contribution and the impact it has on others is your “why.”*

What is your why?

Resources

Worksheet: Built For Work That Matters

Article: You Are Called To New Work

Article: Ask, “What is God Up To? And How Does This Inform My Life and Work?”

Article: Why Start With Why

Book: Start With Why, Simon Sinek

*Simon Sinek created this language as he codified the way Great Leaders Inspire Action — see resources from Sinek listed above.