I am convinced that a good old Venn diagram will help solve most of the problems in life.
This may be an overstatement, but you remember these from grade school, no doubt. A Venn diagram has three overlapping circles with a focal point created at the intersection in the center.
As I counsel students who ask what they should do with their lives, I often draw a Venn diagram and label the circles as follows: “Passions & Desires,” “Gifts & Skills,” “Needs & Opportunities.” It is worth explaining each of these categories for clarity. So, let’s begin by unpacking what might fall into the category of each of these circles of our example. The goal is to see where the three overlap, helping the students begin to discern how the Lord might lead them.
Passions and Desires
God has made each of us unique. This means that some of us love the outdoors and adventure, while others love staying inside in a climate-controlled environment. Some of us love music, while others prefer sports. The list could go on and on. Sometimes, however, in determining our calling, we can fall into one of two ditches as we assess the role passions and desires play in discerning our calling.
One of the ditches we can fall into is to be of the persuasion that God wants us to be happy doing only what we love to do. Thus, we assume he would only call us to tasks involving the things we love. Sacrificing our preferences is not on our radar. This can be detrimental for those asked to take on the discomfort of traveling to a new country, learning a new language, eating new foods, and observing new cultural norms. Nevertheless, there are certain aspects of our preferences that we will have to lay down if we are to follow Jesus. After all, Jesus said that following him would require taking up our cross.
The other ditch we can fall into, though, is assuming that everything we like to do must be put to death if we are to follow him. Believing that following Jesus should feel like a sacrifice in every way, we assume that our natural inclinations must be leading us away from God’s will for our lives. This can be dangerous because it assumes that God did not, in some respect, give us these passions and desires to be used for his glory. It can cause us to assume that God’s will cannot cohere with how he has shaped us and fashioned our passions and desires.
Instead of falling into either of those ditches, I think it is wise to consider what tasks and activities bring you joy and can be leveraged to God’s glory. Is there something about the unique passions and desires the Lord has given you that can help determine where you might consider going as a missionary? Is there something about your passions and desires that helps to make you a fit for a specific missionary task and approach? These questions, asked in concert with people in your church, can help you start to discern how the Lord has shaped you for ministry. Then, once you have determined some of your passions and desires, it is good to think through how those passions and desires translate into skills and abilities.
I think it is wise to consider what tasks and activities bring you joy and can be leveraged to God’s glory.
Skills and Abilities
In addition to your passions, it is necessary to consider what skills and abilities you have. I usually tell my students that sometimes there is a distinct difference between what they like and what they can do. For example, I like music and singing in the shower. But due to my complete lack of skill and gifting musically, it is obvious that it is not a part of my calling to use music as a means of ministry.
In this sphere, the goal is to reflect on and ask others to speak into areas of your life that they would identify as specific areas of natural talent, acquired skill, or even formal credentials. These skills and abilities may open doors for you to participate in a particular task or vocation. Basically, this circle inspects things that you can do well that can contribute to clarifying your calling to a specific type of ministry.
For example, if you have a passion for exploring culture and worldview and have acquired a degree in linguistics, these factors will play into your decisions. It may be that Bible translation is the type of work that you and your church decide that you should explore. On the other hand, if you grew up on a farm and have a green thumb, you may find that the Lord is calling you to explore agricultural inroads into isolated, rural communities for gospel proclamation, disciple-making, and church planting.
While you can reflect on each of these issues for yourself, I think having your church weigh in on this assessment is essential. There are certain things that we know better about ourselves than anyone else does. At the same time, those observing us in the covenant community of the church can also provide insights that we may not have identified in ourselves. In addition to that, the church can be an important help in narrowing the field of possible missions assignments.
Needs and Opportunities
This brings us to the final circle. Where are the strategic needs for missions work that align with our passions and abilities? Where might we plug into the ongoing work that our church is doing? Where might our church be strategically looking to start a new work? These questions, asked in concert with your local church, can help narrow your options sufficiently enough to help you avoid that sense of paralysis from knowing there are needs everywhere.
As you and your church discern your shape and fit for missions, it is helpful to begin by asking whether or not any of your church’s existing missionary partners might have a specific need for someone with your skill set. Likewise, your church may know of expressed needs in other fields that match your gifts and passions. Or, as was the case for my wife and me, your church may already be gathering a team to engage a new field of ministry where your skills and gifts would serve well.
When you and your church find that these three circles overlap—that your gifts, your passions, and the strategic opportunities are made known—I think you are justified in taking steps forward in that direction. Just be sure to do so prayerfully, asking the Lord to keep the door shut if this is not where he is leading.
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Before You Go (For Men): Wisdom from Ten Men on Serving Internationally, edited by Matthew Bennett and Joshua Bowman (Brentwood: B&H, 2024). Used with permission.
