John Bevere - Indicators of Your Calling
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Hey everybody, welcome to lessons. In this lesson, we’re going to talk about discovering your gift. I want to open up with a passage from The Message paraphrase, specifically Galatians 6:4 and 5: «Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself; don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.» Wow, there’s a mouthful in that! In fact, it’s going to take two lessons to talk about those two verses of Scripture. I want to focus specifically on «make a careful exploration of the work you have been given.»
It’s not my intent to discuss developing natural abilities; if we practice hard enough, anyone can become proficient at just about anything—except for me when it comes to singing; that’s the one thing I really struggle with. I remember taking piano lessons from a very well-known teacher in our community who worked full-time; she was brilliant and worked with me for four years. I was the only student she ever approached the parents of and said, «Would you please let your son quit?» So when it comes to musical abilities and singing, I’m just not going to quite get there. But most people, if you practice something for hours and hours, can indeed become proficient.
This is not what I want to talk about; I want to discuss discovering the God-given supernatural gifts in your life and developing those. It is very important that we understand we need God’s involvement. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is just that: personal. I can’t teach you how to discover and identify your personal gift, and I don’t think anyone can. It takes seeking God. I never would have discovered that I have the ability to write had God not spoken to me that morning in prayer because my teachers told me I couldn’t write, the SAT told me I couldn’t write, and I even had a college student criticize a paper I wrote in college. I was the only one who received criticism; all the others received positive feedback.
So I never would have discovered that I had the gift to write had God not spoken to me that morning in prayer. On the other hand, if you look at David, he was out watching the sheep, living life, and here comes a bear, and he kills the bear as a young man. Then on another night, here comes a lion, and he kills the lion. Well, what did that lead him to? He goes to the battlefield, and all the soldiers are hiding. He says, «The God who gave me the lion and the bear will give me that Philistine,» and he kills the Philistine. What did David discover? That God had given him the gift of being a mighty warrior. He stumbled into it. You might stumble into it, or you might hear God speak to you like He did to me about writing, but either way, it takes seeking God in order to discover and develop our gifts.
So, square one: it’s critical to seek out and believe in God’s involvement in discovering our charisma. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that He rewards those who diligently seek Him in faith. He does not reward those who casually seek Him in wonder and doubt. Jesus made a statement: «Keep on asking and you will receive.» Listen to the words: «Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find.» Now, is God just kind of being mean and holding things back and saying, «When you pray long enough, then I’m going to give it to you?» No, He’s not that way. Don’t ever think that way. He wants that desire to be so strong in you that you appreciate what He gives you.
Let me give you an example. When I was in high school, I loved, and I mean loved, astronomy. I wanted so badly to have a telescope to be able to look at the night sky. I remember not having much money; I was an assistant tennis pro at a swimming racket club, just doing my job, but I wasn’t making enough money to buy a telescope. I kept checking out astronomy books from the library, checking out four or five at a time, and reading those astronomy books. I took a semester course in astronomy that was an elective, and between the magazines and the course, my passion for having a telescope pushed me to think creatively. I thought, «Here I am, the tennis pro at the swimming club; why don’t I give private tennis lessons after school?» You could make a lot of money doing private lessons back then. I went to the board, and they said they were fine with that.
I sent out a flyer to everyone in the neighborhood stating that I would give private tennis lessons. Do you know I made enough money to buy a very high-powered telescope? I look back at that and think, «What if someone had just bought that scope for me? I probably would have taken it for granted and misused it. I probably would have gotten tired of it quickly.» But when I had my hard-earned desire for that scope, I really appreciated it. This is the way God operates; He’s saying, «Keep on asking» because He wants that desire to grow in you so you don’t take it for granted.
Now let’s talk about locating our gifts through seeking God. First, there are things we can do in the natural that will help us identify our charisma. First, ask the right questions. We should ask the right questions not only of ourselves but also of others. We’re not looking for man’s answers; we’re seeking to hear God’s voice. Specifically, let’s talk to the right people. There are two groups to avoid when asking questions. The first group consists of those who will just tell you what you want to hear. Don’t ask questions of them; they will only tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. The second group consists of pessimistic people—"Oh, I don’t think you could ever write a book; that’s ridiculous.» Don’t talk to those people. You want to talk to a father or mother in the faith, someone who has traveled that road before you, someone who is a man or woman of faith, not a person who will instill doubt.
I had so many people try to discourage me from writing. There are many who are wise but lack the eternal view. Can I tell you? I ask them questions, but I only take their advice to a certain level because I realize they’re not born again; they don’t have the eternal view. However, they may have a lot of insight into their particular field, and I’m going to ask them questions as well. For example, if you feel like you’re supposed to be an architect, go talk to an architect, whether they’re saved or not. If they’re not saved, and don’t have the eternal view, only take it to a certain level. Parents, spouses, and pastors should all be good people from whom we ask questions that help us discover our charisma.
Now there are exceptions. When I look at my dad—thank God he’s in heaven now—at that time, my dad was not saved. He was a stickler for security and would often say, «John, you need a good career that will be safe and pay you well; that’s why you should be an engineer.» So I went into engineering, and I hated it for four years. My first boss even pulled me into his office and said, «You’re no engineer. Look at engineers; they love science, design, and building things. You’re terrible at it; you’re a people person.» I allowed my dad’s words to shape those four years. That’s why I’ve been careful with my sons—not to say anything that might divert them from what God has called them to do.
I remember Alex asking my wife, «Mom, what am I called to do?» She said, «God, this is such a crucial moment; what do I say to him?» And God said, «Just tell him, Alex, what you’re called to do is so magnificent that I don’t think we’ve even seen it yet.» That was her answer to this young teenage boy who was asking her what he should do with his life.
Some good questions to ask ourselves and others include, «What are we naturally good at?» A lot of times, that can help us locate our charisma. This is a good starting place. Perhaps you’re really good with numbers or with the physical body; maybe you’re called to healthcare. If you’re really good with numbers, you might be called to a science profession or an engineering degree. But that can’t be the final determiner. I was a good tennis player; I played Varsity tennis at Purdue, played in the Junior Davis Cup, participated in the United States Tennis Association circuit, and even won the state high school championship.
However, as I sought God diligently, I realized I wasn’t called to be on the USA circuit. I have a friend named Aaron Baddeley. He and I have been friends for over 15 years; we’re like brothers. He plays on the PGA Tour. I remember in 2004, during his second year on the PGA, he was really struggling. He stayed at my house for a tournament in Colorado and missed the cut. I was getting ready to go to a conference in Las Vegas and said, «Hey, why don’t you come with me to the conference?» After the conference, I asked him, «Did God speak to you?» He said, «Yes, He did. Four times God told me—I haven’t called you to preach; I’ve called you to play golf full-time.»
What Aaron was trying to do was find a way to engage in preaching while also playing golf half the time, wanting to place more emphasis on speaking. That night, he repented of that desire, and within two years, he became the 16th ranked golfer in the world. He has won four PGA events since and has been on tour for 15 years, reaching so many people in the arena of the PGA Tour.
I look at my friend who pastors a church. He had a guy in his church who had a remarkable gift for taking care of cars. He operated a small business with a couple of garages but received an offer to teach the Bible full-time at a large church across town. He took his pastor to lunch and said, «I’m going to take this job.» My pastor friend said, «Man, I just don’t see that in my heart; I really see you working on cars. You have an amazing gift.» The guy got mad and went to the church on the other side of the city. His finances started drying up; his marriage suffered, and a year later, he still hadn’t received the full-time position of teaching the Bible there. God spoke to him and said, «I didn’t call you to be a pastor on staff teaching the Bible; I called you to fix cars and teach the Bible in your local church.»
He returned to my friend and repented. A couple of years later, God gave this man a dream. He envisioned a computer hooked up to a car, which showed him how to diagnose problems in cars through the computer. He partnered with a friend who understood computers, and together they invented a machine that could diagnose car problems without mechanics having to tear the cars apart. This invention was revolutionary back then, and it set up shop in garages all over that part of the United States. He approached his pastor years later, laughing, and said, «Pastor, I know God has called me to fix cars.» He still taught the Bible, just like I still played tennis, but that wasn’t my charisma.
Are you getting what I’m saying? I hope you are. Let’s talk about what energizes you; that’s another indication of where your charisma lies. When I’m writing, I lose track of time; when I’m speaking in a service, I lose track of time. Sometimes these sessions are hard to keep to a 15-minute period because I love to preach the gospel. My assistant once asked me to do an energy test. On a scale of negative two to two, where negative two is what drains you and two is what totally energizes you, I realized preaching and writing were my twos; they completely energized me. This is my charisma; this is what I’m called to do.
Here’s another good question to ask: What am I drawn to? This will help you discover your charisma. What grabs your interest? What causes you to come alive? I see some people singing joyfully, but when I try to sing, people throw things at me. It’s a labor for me; I realize it’s not my charisma. My dad, on the other hand, was an engineer for 40 years. He turned down management opportunities to stay in technical roles. I remember Saturday mornings when he’d sit me down and explain how a steam boiler worked, spending an hour drawing it out and detailing how it functioned. I would be bored to tears, wanting to go play tennis. I didn’t want to dishonor my dad, so I would sit there, listening to him describe that boiler and how it worked. A couple of Saturdays later, he’d say, «Hey son, let me tell you how a steam engine works,» and I would think, «Oh my gosh, here we go again.» He loved it; it was his gift.
What are you drawn to? What are you watching on YouTube? What instructional videos excite and inspire you? Chances are good you’ve tapped into your charisma. I know when I was in the serving ministry, I loved doing it; I loved serving my pastor. It energized me. I worked 70-hour weeks and didn’t think anything of it because I was energized by it. This is a very important aspect to examine.
Number four: who are you drawn to? What people interest you? I love getting around ministers, pastors, and other authors. Why? Because it’s my tribe. You know, there are 12 tribes of Israel; they’re all God’s people but different tribes. My tribe consists of people who communicate the Word of God. I can talk for hours, and I’ve found myself at 1:00 in the morning still discussing what happened in a service with pastors, sharing about what God’s doing in their lives and ministries. I’m energized by it.
So, who are the people that you’re drawn to? If you’re called to be a surgeon, you’ll probably find great stimulation in talking to other surgeons. You’ll love learning about their experiences, insights, and lessons. These are all indicators of the charisma that’s on your life. There are so many things I could say. If you’re really getting something out of this, I go into much more depth in the book «X.» I want to highly recommend that you get this book and read it as a complement to this course.
Once you’ve discovered your gift, it’s time to develop it. Remember, developing your gift causes you to rise. Discovering your gift creates a path for you and brings you before great people, but listen carefully: when you develop your gift, it causes you to rise. That’s why what we’re going to discuss in the next lesson is so very important. We’ll see you then.