Your gifts are needed.  They are not a mistake. They are not less than someone else’s.  You wouldn’t be better with a different set.  The body needs every part and that includes yours. 

It is easy to believe that your talents are less than others.  To believe you need a different personality, aptitude, or talent to be successful.  That is a lie.  You are needed. The Lord gifts each of us uniquely and with purpose.

In step three of our ‘You are Created for Good Works’ workbook we discuss the 5 factors of your unique design.

Your Gifts:

• Experiences
• Abilities
• Personality

Your Passions:

• Interests
• Values

Based on these 5 factors there is no one in the entire world exactly like you and that is precisely why you are invaluable. The Lord has gifted and called you specifically. You are indispensable.

I have worked almost exclusively in male-dominant industries.  After a brief stint in the automotive industry, I moved to professional sports, spent six years on staff at a church where all but one of our pastors was male, and now I currently work in construction. 

Early on I discovered that my gifts and many of my personality traits were more common in men than in women.  Being a woman, this seemed to strike my male coworkers as odd.  Eventually, I began to wonder if, in fact, I was wired wrong.  I even took a personality assessment at one of my jobs, which listed my personality as being ‘90% male’.

Eventually, I came to realize that the Lord had gifted me uniquely and my ability to bring a female perspective to areas where male opinions were already present and accounted for was an amazing opportunity.  Being in the position to have influence that would make more seats available for women who come behind me was an honor and it proved to be important.  God didn’t make a mistake; He equipped me for the calling He had designed.

Many of us have changed careers.  Some of us entire industries.  Countless others have spent years getting an education only to find we want to do something unrelated.  How many of us have also wondered: am I wired wrong?  Would I be better of if I were like…?

The bible is crystal clear that the Lord did not make a mistake in gifting you.  You are a work of thoughtful, purposeful art by our Creator.  Realizing, embracing, and harnessing the power of that truth is a vital part of your success both in a career and in your spiritual life.

When I was young I use to lament that the Lord did not give me a great singing voice.  If only I had an amazing voice I could sing at church and lead people in worship.  Why oh why had the Lord gifted so many other people and not me?  What are my spiritual gifts, you ask?  Hospitality and administration are my top two.  Do you know any ten-year-olds in church praying for the gift of administration?  I’m guessing not.  It rarely comes with a microphone or a stage.

On the flip side, how many of you have benefitted from those gifted by administration in your life?  When I worked for a church, for example, I built a process for background checks so that we could vet volunteers and do our best to protect the thousands of children that came through our doors each week.  No one has invited me to lead worship on stage but we have other people who can.  At the time, I was the only person called to put that process in place and put hundreds of parent’s minds at ease.  We are one body but we cannot be a body with all mouths or legs.  Each part matters and the others would be lost without it.

If you are struggling in this area I challenge you to read chapter three of our workbook.  We have tools that will help you recognize and appreciate who you are.  If you know and you still find yourself wishing you were type A instead of creative or could sing instead of host – use these tools to recognize the value and importance of the role God created for you.  Start off 2020 by appreciating your gifts and look for ways to serve the Lord in and out of your employment with them.  Most importantly, if you are unemployed or preparing for a career change: you need to understand your gifts to find fulfillment in your next career.

This is worth repeating: Your gifts are needed.  They are not a mistake. They are not less than someone else’s.  You wouldn’t be better with a different set.  The body needs every part and that includes yours.  It is easy to believe that your talents are less than others.  To believe you need a different personality, aptitude, or talent to be successful.  That is a lie.  You are needed. The Lord gifts each of us uniquely and with purpose.  You were created by God for good works.

²¹ The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. ²³ The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. ²⁴ The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. ²⁵ In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. ²⁷ You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.

– 1 Corinthians 12:21-27

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