Chazown (spiritual gifts & past experiences)

(Click HERE to catch up on Chazown, Craig Groeschel, and the whole sequel idea.)
(Click HERE and HERE to catch up on the ongoing review on Chazown.)

The other 2 circles (after Core Values) are spiritual gifts and past experiences.

Craig sums up spiritual gifts nicely when he writes = “Every gift and talent you have came directly from God for a purpose. And He wants you to use them to benefit the body of Christ and be a blessing to the world.”
Then he asks these 3 questions to get you thinking in the right direction about what your spiritual gifts are:
1 What do you have a passion to do, and enjoy doing? Or, what do you suspect you might enjoy doing if you just looked into it a little more? (Consider jobs, hobbies, recreational activities, anything.)
2 What do you do that seems to have a significant impact on others?
3 What do you secretly believe you can do, but have never tried?

Do those questions seem "less spiritual" than you were thinking? I think they are perfect to really get you thinking in the right direction and then on your personal Chazown website you can take the spiritual gifts test to help you figure out what your top spiritual gifts probably are. Doesn't mean it 100% nails what your exact gifts are every time... but I think it gives you a great idea.

Here are my test results in order along with Craig's definitions =
1 Apostleship = the ability to adapt to a different culture in order to share the gospel. Essentially it is the missionary gift whereby one is enabled to minister with one's gifts and calling cross-culturally.
2 Giving = the unique capacity to comprehend the financial needs related to the growth of God's kingdom and to meet those needs by contributing eagerly and generously. Essentially it is the ability to give sacrificially to the Lord's work.
3 Administration = the ability to plan and coordinate the gifts and talents of a group of Christians to reach certain objectives. Essentially it is the capacity to organize persons and resources to meet specific goals.
4 Leadership = the ability to discern God's purpose for a group of believers, to set goals to accomplish that purpose, and to motivate others in the fulfillment of those goals. Essentially it is the capacity to inspire others with a vision of God's will.

& then the past experiences chapter was pretty moving for me actually.
“What might your past have prepared you to do that you couldn’t—or wouldn’t—do otherwise?” Just think about that! It was so moving and powerful for me to think about all the ways God has orchestrated my past to prepare to do the mission He has for me!

I think if you really give some time to the exercises and questions in the book you will remember tons of past experiences that were KEY in your life to bring you to your Chazown! It's a very introspective thing and I wrote for what seemed like a few days on this...
I'll just share a few of the things from my past I think God in His sovereignty was using...

*As a kid I won all kinds of crazy speech contests & stuff at my school... like elementary school. I don't have the greatest memory of it all but I can remember standing on stage in front of 500-1,000 people giving speeches as like a 1st grader... it was natural. I never remember being nervous. I think it was a pretty cool way God maybe got me used to speaking and being on stage in front of people. It never stopped all the way through high school... speech communications minor in college... do it pretty much all the time now.

*Also starting around 1st grade I sold stuff like a MAD MAN... it's crazy when I think back on it! probably the biggest claim to fame is those yearly fundraiser candy bar sales at the elementary school. I broke all kinds of records selling freakin' ridiculous amounts of chocolate bars! As a 1st grader... and on up. I was crazy good at making people like me and having conversations, etc... Continued all through school, sold cars even as a high schooler and in college. had a couple of my own businesses selling stuff - everything from paying my way through college with a Fortune 500 company to a root beer business run out of my dorm room... haha. You might think this is weird because I don't have a career in sales... but it's always been easy for me to connect with people... with anyone really. I've never met a stranger and never want to. I guess God was using this to get me ready...

*I'm still figuring this one out, but I was an artist as a kid. Won all kinds of art contests and loved to draw ever chance I got. I haven't done this since I was 12, but I think it may be some connection to a desire/passion/need to be creative... to engage people and entertain them with whatever resources I have.

*I used to read as a kid. NONSTOP!!! I think I read every book in our school library when I was in elementary school. I took a hiatus from reading from 7-12th grade... haha. Picked it back up in college and ever since have had an unquenchable desire to LEARN!!! I can't get enough or read enough now. you will never find me without a book. Go ahead and try to catch me with out one on me! WON'T HAPPEN!

So, that was all in the interest of transparency + HOPEFULLY to get you thinking about your OWN Chazown... Can you see how your 3 circles might fit together.

Want to share any of your spiritual gifts or past experiences?