Ever since the people of God wandered in the desert they have wondered, “Where does God want me to go?” While we no longer have pillars of fire and cloud, we can prayerfully use our G.P.S. (gifting, passion, and story) to discover where we are uniquely equipped to serve.

A friend of mine, Neal Emmons, shared with me the experience of identifying his GPS when he left a corporate finance career to help start a nonprofit. He wrote:

“I think understanding your spiritual gifts is important, and I knew mine. But there was a disconnect in how to use them. When I discovered my passion—what I had a heart for, what I’m grateful for, and how God had been working in my life—then it all made sense.”

A chance encounter challenged Neal to live outside the herd and helped recalibrate his direction. He discovered how to use his gifts and experiences to help others.

So what is your Gifting, Passion, and Story?

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GIFTING

Ephesians 4:11–12 teaches that Christ has given each of us a role in building up the church as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, or teachers. Review these APEST ministry functions and rank each from 1–5 (1 = most like you).

Apostle — Starts and leads new initiatives, focuses on vision and values, develops leaders.
Prophet — Calls people back to God’s purposes, seeks alignment with Scripture, pursues justice and renewal.
Evangelist — Shares faith enthusiastically, connects people, invites others to follow Jesus.
Shepherd — Cares deeply for people, listens well, walks with others through struggles.
Teacher — Explains truth clearly, turns knowledge into wisdom, emphasizes application.

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PASSION

Ask someone what they are passionate about and many respond, “I don’t know.” Often this is because we live lives of avoidance rather than pursuit. To minimize pain, we numb ourselves with distraction instead of discovering what truly motivates us.

The Latin root of passion means “to suffer.” We are passionate about what we are willing to struggle for. Likewise, compassion means to “suffer with.” Our passions are often revealed in the burdens we carry and the struggles we help others overcome.

We also discover passion through flow—moments when we lose track of time because we are challenged but not overwhelmed. Flow exists between boredom and anxiety.

Consider:

• What activities do you naturally gravitate toward?
• If money or expectations were removed, what would you do?

Use Neal Emmons’ 4Rs to evaluate your interests:

Rewarding — Is this meaningful to you?
Respected — Is it worth the effort?
Relevant — Does it meet a real need?
Right One — Are you the right person to do this?

This final question is a big one, because if you do it but only out of obligation and not passion you may be blocking the right one from doing. At the same time, if not you then who? Perhaps you are the right one and you need to rise up to the challenge.

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STORY

Understanding if you are the Right One requires understanding your story.

David Brooks describes life as climbing two mountains. The first mountain focuses on achievement—building a career, family, reputation, and success. The second mountain shifts toward service—offering wisdom, support, and sacrifice for others.

The path between the two requires descending into a valley through suffering, loss, or disappointment. These seasons are dangerous but also formative. They can either derail us or deepen us.

During the climb of the first mountain we develop skills and resources. In the valley, knowledge becomes wisdom. From there we begin the ascent toward a life of greater purpose.

Reflect on your story:

• What moments changed your life’s direction?
• What disappointments or losses have shaped you?
• What did you learn?
• Who walked with you?
• Where was God?
• How might your story help someone else?
• Who breaks your heart? Who are you motivated to serve?