Knowing Where to Serve

Discovering where to serve can take patience and sometimes trial by error. There is no test or quiz you can take that can tell you where you are to serve in an instant. It can sometimes take time. There are a few key things you can do to help you make steps toward discovering where you should serve. They are discovering your spiritual gifts, discovering your ministry passion, special talents, and prayer.

1. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Let’s first take a look at a definition of Spiritual Gifts:

Spiritual Gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit and distributed to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ.

Now, let’s break this definition down and explain its parts.  

First, Spiritual Gifts are special abilities.

•    They are divine endowments.
•    They are used for spiritual purposes.
•    They are tasks or functions.
•    They enable us to do meaningful service.

Second, who gives these Spiritual Gifts?

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by one Spirit, and to another prophecy. . . [and so on]. (1 Corinthians 12:8 – 10)

Spiritual Gifts are given by the Holy Spirit.

Third, who are Spiritual Gifts given to?

Spiritual Gifts are given to every believer according to God’s design and grace. Therefore, unbelievers do not have Spiritual Gifts. Every believer has at least one Spiritual Gift. We do not earn them or choose them.  

Finally, who are the gifts for?

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

Spiritual Gifts are for others, for the common good of the body of Christ. Your gifts aren’t for you; they are to benefit others. They empower believers to expand the kingdom of God and to serve one another.  

So one of the first steps in discovering where to serve is discovering your spiritual gift.

2. MINISTRY PASSION

Ministry passion is a heartfelt desire that compels us to make a difference for the kingdom of God.

Your passion may…
    
•    Right a wrong
•    Meet a need
•    Solve a problem
•    Serve a cause
•    Change a life

While spiritual gifts are functions or tasks you perform, ministry passions are feelings or desires that motivate you to serve in a particular ministry. It’s what drives you. Your ministry passion could be for a certain people group (youth, poor, young marrieds, etc.) or even a social issue (childcare, poverty, education, AIDS, etc.).

3. SPECIAL TALENTS

You should also look at your natural abilities. God has also given each of us natural abilities in addition to our spiritual gifts. Whether they are artistic abilities, cooking, leading, carpentry, and the list could go on forever. Rick Warren put it this way about special abilities and talents, “Your abilities were not given just to make a living; God gave them to you for your ministry.”

4. PRAYER

As we pointed out earlier, it can take time and trial by error to discover your area of service. Sometimes you think you are called to a specific ministry and when you get involved, you realize that ministry really isn’t for you. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t called anywhere. It means that you need to continually ask God through prayer to reveal to you His will for you. It is easy to become discouraged, but we see in John 16:13 that we have been promised that the Holy Spirit will guide us down the path God has designed for us.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)