Christians often lack the biblical literacy to understand their own life calling. One of the most pertinent examples is the misunderstanding of the relationship between calling and being gifted. When I speak to believers about this topic one response is that, “I’m not called, I’m gifted.” Through the course of over 300 interviews with Christian marketplace leaders, I have heard this type of comment many times—including from devout Christians who have spent a lifetime doing great things for the Kingdom.
How does the nature of “calling” interact with the concept of “gifts?” A gift is like having a natural ability at something; in that sense it is like having a talent. Gifts are singular, personal and tangible. Calling is comprehensive, communal and strategic. Gifts are not a substitute for calling. Gifts enable a calling. Gifts are the most obvious manifestation of the way in which individuals have been visibly blessed. In short, gifts are the tools; calling is the toolbox.
In other words, a person can think, “I am good at something. I have a gift.” They can see that and understand that. For example, a person may be very successful in business. They may have a great business acumen and seemingly an ability to make money. They may not think they are called, but rather that they are simply gifted. This is not the case, however, as all believers are called. To deny the nature of calling, is like denying the existence of the laws of gravity. The laws of gravity still exist whether or not you understand them.
To understand this issue we need to get back to the basics of calling. All believers have both a general call and a specific call. The general call is that to which all Christians are called. The specific call, which ties in with their gifts, may be their capacity to have a great impact in the marketplace. They may come across a wide range of stakeholders, most of whom would never meet a Christian, and they can have a great influence.
The distinction is important in terms of someone’s own conception of their life story and how they can use their influence for good. If you think as a Christian you simply have some gifts, then you are more likely to think in a more narrow way. With these tools you can do a few specific things. If you think, by contrast, they you have a tool box then you are more likely to think in terms of things that can be built, not just with your tools but also by working with others.
The Apostle Paul talks about gifts in Romans: “We have gifts that differ, according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generousity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.” (Rom 12:6-8)
Paul further also explains in his letter to the Corinthians: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Cor 12:7-10)
The above passages seem to refer to the use of gifts within the church, but the principles apply in other facets of life. Humans are God-designed creatures that are equipped in different ways for Kingdom-building activities—they are implanted with different passions and dispositions. For example, entrepreneurs will often talk about being “hard-wired” a certain way—they love being innovative, creative and pursuing opportunities in the marketplace. All these gifts, however, are placed within the overall context—the toolbox—of the believer’s whole life calling.