“David, what do you want to be when you grow up?” This question was posed to me when I was around twelve or thirteen by my Scoutmaster, Charles McPherson, during a rank advancement review. As a young boy scout in Troop 75 at Mullins UMC in Memphis, I was making progress along the Eagle Scout trail, having completed the requirements to progress from Second to First Class scout. “I think I want to be a pastor.”, was my reply.

This is the first memory I have of saying those words out loud. Frankly, I am not sure if I said “pastor” or “preacher”, but I do remember his reaction. He seemed slightly startled at first, but quickly hid his facial expression and said, “David, that would be an admirable accomplishment. I believe you would be good at it”. I remember this because at the time I thought he said “Admiral” and all I knew then was that word represented a VERY high rank in the military. Reflecting on that moment now, the first part of his response is affirming, but the second part feels more relevant to me today.

What determines if we will be good at something?

God gifts each of us with a unique skill set. In the United Methodist Church we often use the phrase “gifts and graces” to describe what is almost indescribable…being good enough at what God calls you, and me, to do in Christ with our lives. The Church will apply the concept to how “good” a person might be as a servant leader in acts of ministry as a lay, licensed, or ordained person. But it applies to any person of faith seeking to discover what they might be called by God to do.

Perhaps you or your church occasionally offers an exercise called a “spiritual gifts inventory”. There are lots of examples and versions out there. Paul describes a variety of spiritual gifts in chapter 12 of both Romans and 1 Corinthians. The key is to keep it simple. If we start to overthink it, spiritual gifts can be challenging to identify or for us to believe that we possess them. When considering what they might be, try and recognize what comes from within you most naturally. What is the primary attitude, approach, goal, or desire that propels you most often? The list is could be long or short, but if something on it aligns with a divine trait that Jesus would exhibit, it can be a sign which helps identify how you’ve been wired by God to most consistently respond when you engage the world.

An example that comes to mind is my wife of nearly thirty years, April. She has more than twenty years of experience as a nurse. I believe she is an effective nurse because she uses her primary, God-given spiritual gift every time she is called to do a task the job requires…she is compassionate. In no part of her academic education, practical training, or formal job description is compassion required to be hired as a nurse. But do you want a nurse that doesn’t possess it to care for you?

The answer isn’t what job we have, but what path we choose that allows us to most effectively use our spiritual gifts?

To be real, even if we are good at something, we won’t be good at it all the time. We will make mistakes, grow weary of the demands, and question if we can still do it? That’s when we discover the real power that keeps us going or prevents burnout is not just because we are good at it, but because our deepest and most potent God-given-gifts are attached to it. These gifts remind us of our purpose. These gifts are part of our identity. These gifts raise us up when our morale or energy are low. These gifts rejuvenate us when we are tired in our bones. These gifts are part of God restoring our soul when we are ready to quit. When we wonder if what we do in the name of Christ makes a difference to anyone? These gifts are God saying you are not a human doing…but a human being…now go and be who you are created to be…a source of Christ-love in the world, using the gifts and graces you have distinctively been given.

There is always more to learn, more to experience, more to discover about the gifts and graces God has given us and how we can use them to share the love of Christ. Thankfully, our spiritual gifts are not limited to one or two, but those are usually our strongest. The more we use them, the more God uses us. The gifts from God are perfect in themselves, but as humans we will always have to work to perfect them in us. Sometimes these gifts can feel more like a burden than a blessing. The human part of Jesus experienced this dichotomy, and so do we.

My prayer today is that whatever gifts and graces God has given, that we see them as an extension of the Holy Spirit working in us, around us, through us, even in spite of us. We are always growing, learning, trying, failing, and trying again, and by grace, whatever we are trying to do using our spiritual gifts, God believes we can be good at it.