Welcome to week six in a series of blog posts taking us through the book, MORE. Let’s dive right in to discovering our unique mission in this life.
Start here | Prayer
God, I know You have uniquely created me. I am growing in my understanding of what that means and how it plays itself out in my life. Give me clarity as I discover my unique passions and burdens and how they impact my unique calling. As I pursue You, continue to open my eyes and light the path so that I can clearly see my unique mission in this world. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
Scripture |
“If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.” Galatians 4:18 NLT
“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” Romans 12:11 NLT
“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 NLT
Observations |
Read through each of the verses listed above. Take a few minutes and write down 3-5 observations you have. What insights is the Holy Spirit showing you?
Everyone has unique passions, burdens and gifts. Why do you think so many people say they “aren’t good at anything?”
Off the top of your head, jot down three (3) things that come natural to you, a gift or ability. (Ex; musical, athletic, science-minded, leading, teaching, developing, coaching, etc)
Off the top of your head, jot down three (3) things you are passionate about. (Ex; my kid’s sports, business, starting new things, planning, fitness, music, etc)
Off the top of your head, jot down three (3) things you are burdened by. (Ex; single mothers, mental health issues, adoption, clean water, environment, etc)
Application |
Armed with your ongoing list of natural gifts and abilities, passions and burdens, begin to brainstorm where those areas intersect. Use the diagram on the back of the Week 6 Study Guide to get you going. *(Tom, please link to the diagram or insert into the blog.)
Write down a few sentences that might describe your unique mission. (Ex; To champion the needs and opportunities of at risk youth using sports as a means to build up kids for a more inclusive, self-supporting community.)
NOTE: Don’t worry about getting this perfect! This is your journey of discovering clarity, one-step at a time. Write something down to get you going!
Take your list to a trusted person in your life and ask them if they would affirm what you are seeing in yourself. Allow that trusted person to speak that affirmation into your life or to help give you clarity in areas where you don’t see yourself as “strong.”
Next Steps |
Here is a short list of practical next steps you can take as we walk this path together.
- Keep a journal going of natural abilities, passions, burdens that you see in yourself or that others identify in you.
- Schedule a time over coffee with that trusted person to process out loud what you are working on.
- Pray about what you are discovering.
- Download a copy of the study guide for Week 6.
Join the conversation. What were some thoughts that stuck out to you during this devotional? Share below as we all process this together.