Finding your God-given Gifts

I believe that everyone has been given special gifts and a purpose. The gifts we have been given are blessings we are to share with others and enhance our purpose. How can we find our gifts? Some persons may have been blessed enough to have received the support from family or teachers to help their gifts blossom. Others were not so lucky. When we are born into a family and culture, some gifts are brushing against walls of do's and don'ts. Examples of barriers range all genders, races, and faiths.

One example would be that religious persons may find dance a sin, yet their child may have the gift of dance. Others may have been belittled causing that person to hide their gift. Alternatively, maybe your parents hated bugs in their house and therefore did not let you study insects. An ultra rational father may have no interest in a child's visions or even worry if he should take the child to a psychiatrist. In some instances, the very gender of the person seems to stand in the way because of the mindset of acceptability assigned to male and female persons.

It is never too late to rediscovers one's gifts. Even if you did not have the support system emotionally or financially, you can find your God-given gifts. God-given gifts are the tools to our life purpose. These gifts, even if they have lain dormant for many years, are within us all our lives ready to be rediscovered and be used. There is no question that it will take some time to dig them back up, to nurture them, and perfect them. However, it is our duty to ourselves and those around us, to discover or rediscover them. These gifts have a reason for existing. Someone may need them in order to develop their own gifts. All God-given gifts exist to make a better humanity.

There have been several tests developed to find one's gifts, tests to find one's spiritual gifts, and aptitude tests for various abilities. Some are as simple as the COPES testing offered in schools to identify your interests. Your interests are usually a significant map towards identifying your gift. If you go online, you will find a large array of such tests. Be careful and research which are valid and which are free. If they cost something, make sure they are worth it. The problem is that these tests can put you into a box. It is unfortunate that they are now misused in some instances to evaluate potential employees. True they can weed out those who have little interest in the job, but that also eliminates the capable worker. I think they are also creating barriers we have no right to create. We are always learning something new, maybe even something we are not good at in order to expand our horizon. Do not take all the information as if it was engraved in stone; understand who you are while you seek.

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How else can we discover or rediscover our gifts?

1. One way is to try to remember what you liked to play as a child. Children often play things that foreshadow their special purpose and gifts. What were your favorite toys? My son drew roadmaps, and house plans, he built with blocks for hours on end, arranged rows of cars and build bridges. Now he is an architect.
2. A question you may ask is what did you dream as a child or youth of becoming? Those dreams will give a hint of your gifts and purpose.
3. Was there a burning interest you had when you were young?
4. Are there things different about you; could these differences be hidden gifts? There may be gifts, which are annoying to others; those are the hardest ones to continue sharing. For example, one may have the gift of evaluation. This gift shows itself as having an uncanny ability to size up a situation very quickly. Somehow, you get a bigger picture of things others cannot. That gift can be annoying to others, because prophetic statements are often scary. Some gift's function is to afflict the comfortable.
5. Try to experiment in the arts or learning instruments. One is never too old to experiment; one is never too old to discover gifts. One option is going back to school. What subject peaks your interest? Some gifts may need additional training so that they can blossom.
6. Surrender yourself into God's presence, pray for your gifts to be revealed. Once God reveals your gift or gifts, you will feel joy and purpose. You will feel renewed. Nothing can stand in your way to what you have been called to accomplish.
7. Use the special meditation I was given, which will help you find special interests and gifts that lie deep within. If you don't feel you have a gift or seem to receive no answer in your prayer, this meditation might just help you to find the hidden. These meditations will also help confirm the outcome of tests or help you question them and possibly give you more clarity.

You will be able to order this CD in spring 2014. For more information on it send your email to: angelika.mitchell@gmail.com

Once we realize..........

Since my last blog entry, you may have wondered what your gifts are. Maybe you have started to explore what they might be. I celebrate with you if you found your gift. If you have not already begun to identify, explore or expand your gifts I encourage you to begin.¹ Everyone's gift is important to humanity. What do we do once we find our gifts? What is their purpose, what will we do?

Once we truly realize that we are created by love and a power which has no other intention but our giftedness, our magnificence and beauty (Mt. 5:14-16),² we must also ask how are these gifts meant to be used? Many years ago, I came to the realization that all our gifts, whatever they are, are things we are here to share. We are not only here to share these gifts for our benefit financially or otherwise, no! We are here to share our gifts with everyone, regardless of their status, race, sexual orientation, faith affiliation, political affiliation, IQ, ability to go by rules, amount of money they have in the bank, or any other classifications or limitations that society hands down. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate way of sharing gifts, he healed the soldiers’ ear before he was arrested; a very benevolent gesture (Lk 22:51).³

Truly, we all must work to acquire the necessities of life. Because of special capabilities we call gifts, being financially compensated when using our gifts is how society works. Yet, there must be a time when we give thanks for the gifts we have received. This thanks giving becomes implemented when we are willing to give of our gifts freely, beyond the jobs we have, without compensation. It is then we will become a benevolent society: a society that can refrain from judgment and therefore honor God by sharing the gift with which we have been endowed.

This theology and essence of thanksgiving gives us a vantage point to operate out of the “cup that is full and overflowing.” It will change our outlook on life. No more will we worry about survival. We will begin to receive, as we are eager to give. Yet, we will not give in order to receive. Motivation and fear of not enough, simply known as greed, will fade into the background. Benevolence, compassion and above all thanksgiving will be the new motivator, with the result of abundance for all.

Neither Communism nor Collectivism falls under this new frame of mind. We think these systems are about “sharing.” Both systems work from an ideology that is based on NOT ENOUGH, on scarcity. (*) The theology and essence of thanksgiving can only operate out of the enough. This the abundance that is constantly flowing to us as gifts, gifts for and from our neighbors and gifts from God, the higher power that has sustained humanity throughout the ages.

I am quite aware that this idea might frighten some people. Nelsen Mandela quoted in his inaugural speech:

“... our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,

not our darkness that most frightens us.”... Your playing small does

not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that

other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest

the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.”⁴

What might be the most difficult thing to address in order to embrace this idea, the theology of thanksgiving, is that it puts us in the open with all our vulnerabilities. Therefore, to be able to overcome this fear we need inner reflection and prayer and a deep God-connectedness. Other wise our vulnerabilities will pervert that natural God power and cause through our power oppression instead of love, compassion and empowerment of others. Jacobson writes, “Spirit power is critically divergent from the abusive power. The Spirit power of Jesus is characterized by healing, humility, shared wealth, and non violence.”⁵

One other way this spirit power will change society is by realizing that we are not the only ones with gifts. We will see amazing gifts in others; we will see their beauty and rejoice. We will be eager to help others and our children to develop their gifts. No more will we squash someone's gifts because we are jealous. No more will we look at our neighbor with suspicion. No more will we hurry to get the “Know your neighbor paper” to find out which of our neighbors was arrested this week. We will stop seeing others from the vantage point of suspicion and fear. Instead, we will start seeing others through the eyes of Christ, the eyes that see beauty and gifts, eyes that see mistakes, which are there in order to advance, and are a stepping-stone to improvement and magnificence.

Another problem that can arise is to classify the gifts. We live in a society that loves to classify. No gift is better than the other is, they are all unique and tailored to the benefit of God's people. All people who wish to be are God's people.

First, I invite you to find and embrace your own gifts, then embrace and celebrate your neighbor’s gifts and finally live your gifts out of thanksgiving, sharing and caring for all.

1I will write a blog entry next time just on how to find and recognize your gift. 

2Biblical Verses from NRSV

3Biblical Verses from NRS

4Dennis A. Jacobson, Doing Justice (Pg. 48)

5Dennis A. Jacobson, Doing Justice (Pg. 47)
(*) from a speaker from the DOC General Assembly