The Survey

On the counsel of someone wiser and more possessed with awareness in these areas than me I recently took a test or survey, if you will, to determine my spiritual gifts. According to Romans 12 we all have them. We all have different ones and we all use the ones we have in different ways.

This survey consisted of 84 questions that I answered on a scale of 1 – 5; 1 being “almost never” and 5 being “almost always.” I have to say I was quite pleased with myself as I began to answer and I was able to answer with lots of 4s and 5s. Then inevitably the 2s and 1s began to creep in.

I won’t tell you the results of the survey – I am still deciphering what it all means and what exactly I am to do with my new found knowledge of myself. But I will tell you that I scored rather high in a couple of areas, err “giftings,” and much lower in other gift areas. (There are lots of spiritual gifts but this survey was geared towards identifying the strengths of Perceiving/Prophecy, Teaching, Encouraging, Showing Mercy, Serving, Giving, Admin./Ruling/Leading).

The thing that surprised me the most is not finding out what my gifts are but instead the freedom in finding out what they are not. I cannot tell you what a joy and a relief it is to know that I do not have a God-given gift for certain things. It so explains why I do not enjoy certain tasks. It explains why certain things are not on my radar. It explains why I get bored so easily when I do particular things.

God taught me about one of my non-gifts early in my working career. I learned a long time ago working in sales was not a talent I possessed. But, Lord love me I kept trying, I waited tables several different times, I worked in wholesale sales and retail sales. I just cannot make people buy something they do not need/want or sell something that I do not believe in or work for a company I know is not giving a fair deal to the customer.

Well, that pretty much rules out sales of all kinds – even waiting tables – as I was always selling the “daily special” or pushing dessert or the wine list. Just thinking about it now is creating all sorts of anxiety in me!

And that’s how we know we are not working in our gift. We get easily frustrated. We become bored with our task. Doing a particular thing causes us to become anxious or fearful. Now, there will be times that we feel these things even though we are working in our gifts and talents – life is what it is and frustration and anxiety come with the territory. But we can be aware enough to know the difference.

When we are in a close relationship with God, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we become Spirit-aware enough to discern the difference between our area of talent and our area of “God-gave-this-gift-to-somebody-else.” And boy, we and God are happy when that day arrives.

Knowing what God has called us to do is vitally important. He has possessed us with certain abilities, talents and gifts so that we may live our lives to benefit others to His glory. If we do not know what those gifts and talents are we cannot do that to the fullest.

But at the same time it is just as important that we identify what we are not called to do. God does not want us wasting time serving Him in some capacity that does not suit us because that would not bring Him glory. Living our lives in frustration and boredom does no one any good – especially God.

So the next time I am buying shoes at Nordstrom I am giving my salesperson a big ‘ol hug – because I know that person has been called from a mighty high source to be putting that shoe on my foot.

And is there anything more glorious than a new pair of shoes?

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