What Am I Suppose To Do With My Life?
People today don’t know what they want to do with their lives. Despite all of our wealth, education, and opportunity people are constantly searching for happiness and fulfillment. Their journey never seems to end because they are reluctant to grow up and establish roots. For example, people are getting married older; work commitments are being postponed beyond anything that anyone could have imagined. It is also no accident that we see children hanging around the home longer; childhood is extending. All over the world now kids don’t have to make commitments that they had to make in the past.
According to leading Stanford researchers, these trends are creating a type of moratorium whereby people try to “find” themselves and experiment with different things. Think of this, just a few decades, young teenagers were driving tractors and were given adult responsibilities around the home. A family’s survival was dependent on income producing offspring that contributed to the common good. In contrast to past decades, today’s youth and culture is focused on itself. No longer are children expected to bring home the bacon. Instead they are asking their parents for cell phones, I-pods, and automobiles. Just try today to get a teenager to mow the lawn, clean their room or take out the trash without starting World War III. I’m not saying that people today are immature; it’s just that they are growing up slower.
I believe that the same is true with our society in a spiritual sense. People are drifting spiritually. They are trying out all sorts of religions and lifestyles. Unfortunately, since few people today have a religious upbringing, their lack of spirituality enables them to become easily uprooted from God’s protection and planted into a culture sown in sin. Years ago, the church and the family complemented each other and were grounded in common purpose where each made significant contributions to the larger body. Today, people want to do their “own thing.” These trends are impacting society and the Church in negative ways. Let me explain.
Previously, people sought noble vocations and were judged by their character. Things like honesty, resourcefulness, thriftiness, kindness, integrity meant something. People like our grandparents were proud to take on meager vocations as waiters, construction workers, janitors, and earn an honest living. Today, most young people simply want to make money and flash the “bling.” Their career choices chase wealth, prestige, and personal pleasure. Society’s needs are somehow an afterthought and personal character means little. Taken as a whole, the end no longer justifies the means.
The same is true in the Church. Rather than people asking our loving Lord where they should serve in the Church, people are pursuing on their own desires. I see our Churches relying less on God’s wisdom for guidance and more on people’s ambitions. Consequently, people only do what they want, rather than serving as they called. This is an important distinction and is in contrast to God’s master plan for His Church. Let me explain. First, our Lord designed the Church in a special way so that everyone’s contribution was necessary for it to thrive. Rather than blessing each community with a few people who could do it all, our Lord bestows each individual with specific gifts. Collectively, these gifts are necessary for the Church to survive and prosper. In God’s thinking, spiritual gift diversity is a prerequisite for the congregation’s unity and spiritual prosperity.
Today’s epistle reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans addresses the spiritual gifts given to each believer. The key is for each Christian is to discover their particular gift and to develop them through the grace of the Holy Spirit. So, listen carefully and try to discover: What is your spiritual gift? How is God calling you to serve? How are you going to use that gift for the benefit of the spiritual community?
Prophecy
The first spiritual gift mentioned is prophecy. Prophecy is the uttering of God’s will under the impulse of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift of speech where the Holy Spirit convicts the community of God’s presence and power. Prophets communicate God’s will for His people in accordance with Holy Scripture. When we think about a prophet, we tend to thing about the Old Testament prophets that predicted the future. There are also modern day prophets among us as our Lord continues to guide and send messages to His people. The prophet’s challenge is to discern whether it’s God’s voice speaking to him or whether he or she is being deceived. If you’ve received several hunches, or messages from God of things that were going to happen in the future, perhaps you may have this gift. Now, remember prophetic messages are spiritual in nature and aren’t guesses about who will win the Kentucky Derby or the Super Bowl. Prophets have something important to say for God’s people.
Christian Service
The second spiritual gift mentioned is Christian service. We notice these people all around us in the Church and they are always working. Christians called to service are the people that set up before functions, that clean-up after coffee hour has ended, that volunteer to work at fund-raising events, that visit the poor, sick, and needy, and are active in countless other ministries. People who are called to serve do it out of their love for Christ, His Church, and His people. Their ministry is the very foundation of the Christian faith. If you feel an inner voice in you telling you to help out more in the community, if you enjoy taking care of others, or if you have a desire to be a “doer” of God’s word then your calling is diakonia or service.
Teaching
Perhaps your calling is to instruct others in the faith. People who have the spiritual gift of teaching have a passion for the Holy Scriptures and want others to know God’s truths. They believe that knowledge of doctrine, dogma, tradition, and most of all God’s word is necessary for a fully developed faith. Teachers are the backbone of the faith because unless our churches are founded on firm biblical knowledge, they become mere social clubs. Teachers are especially important today because the “world” is trying to influence and pervert God’s people with strange doctrine, perverted values, and alternative lifestyles. Teachers are the Lord’s first line of defense against these onslaughts. If you have a passion to nurture new believers, strengthen the faithful, and arm the community spiritually against the devil, then you may have the gift of teaching.
Exhortation
The gift of exhortation is difficult to explain because it similar to teaching. Teaching appeal to the community’s minds, while exhortation appeals to the human will. Exhortation is the encouragement and building up the Christian community. It is a call to action. People with this spiritual gift are the Christian motivators. They have the maturity and discernment to recognize God’s will and capacity to stimulate the faithful. They are God’s cheerleaders. If you are the type of person who has a sense of urgency regarding the faith, then you may have this gift. People with the gift of exhortation inspire others at every opportunity and they never give up because they know that God is with them and will bless them.
Giving
All people within the Church are expected to give something to the community, however, not all people have the special gift of giving. People who have the gift of giving give over and above what most people contribute. Their giving is sacrificial in nature. St. Paul states that people who have this gift should give readily and liberally. Giving people recognize that all they have is truly a blessing and gift from God. In their own small, yet significant way they want to return their blessings back to God and His people. Spiritual giving refers to not just material wealth, but encompasses sharing time and spiritual things. The motivation for giving is found in the classical Greek understanding of the root word metadidomi. Here giving is seen as a willingness to share rather than hoard one’s property. If you have the calling to give of yourself and your time, treasury, and talent for the glory of God’s Kingdom, then you may have this gift. In its most basic form, Christian giving is the passion to lay up treasures in Kingdom by sharing readily and liberally with the “the least of the brethren.”
Leadership
Leadership is important for the Christian community because leaders are good at solving problems and calming disputes. Gifted Christian leaders are told to lead with zeal and diligence. Biblical references about leadership talk about people who take charge and rule with dignity and authority. The emphasis regarding Christian leadership is not the person’s authority or position, but the quality of their leadership. There are many people today who want to head churches, serve on parish councils, and want positions of authority, however, they lack the wisdom, discernment, and Christian disposition to shepherd God’s people. True Christian leadership is rooted in humility and involves being the servant of all. If you are blessed with problem solving ability, have a passion to serve and shepherd God’s people, and can work well with others, perhaps your gift is leadership and should consider running for your parish council.
Mercy
The final spiritual gift mentioned in today’s epistle is mercy. Showing mercy means helping others through practical deeds of kindness. St. Paul tells the merciful to perform their duties cheerfully. Showing mercy means many things. First, merciful people are willing to share their material things with the needy. They understand the suffering and tough predicament of others and are willing to help out before they are even asked for assistance. Merciful people have a sensitive spirit and are compassionate. Their compassion involves taking action and delivering actual care to the afflicted. The best example of a merciful servant is found in the parable of the Good Samaritan. If you are a sensitive person and want to help out when you see others in need, perhaps you have the gift of mercy. Merciful people are also hopeful people because they know that the power of God can transcend and deliver people from the worst circumstances. Merciful people are also thankful and see God’s blessing in each situation.
Conclusion
As I close, I simply want to restate that each of us is given spiritual gifts for the benefit of building up the body of Christ. Today I briefly described the gifts found in today’s epistle to the Romans. If you do not see yourself possessing any of these gifts then my advice for you is to pray for guidance on recognizing and developing the graces bestowed upon you. On the other hand, if you’ve been blessed with some of the gifts mentioned, then your prayer should be to further develop these gifts and to practice them for God’s glory. Today’s epistle begins with an affirmation that we all are blessed with different gifts; our call is to use them.
I began my sermon speaking about our lost society and about people trying to find themselves. Our society is lost simply because it is detached from God. People no longer see their lives as being connected to God, His Church, or His people. My friends, today’s epistle reading should encourage us to find meaning in our lives through Christian service. Each of us was created special, unique, and blessed with graces to edify and build up God’s church and Kingdom. Let us use our gifts to sanctify our world that our beloved God has entrusted to our care. Amen.
