Know Your Value | Identity

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom & instruction” -Solomon Proverbs 1:7 MSV

Many are Called but Few are Chosen.

    Have you heard the call to serve God yet?  Some of us don't accept the call to cull our ministry directed from God above in turn discovering that we are chosen. Let us fulfill the call from God!

    After operating as an Active Duty Sailor for 20 years, I'm preparing for transition to the civilian sector of employment.  Creating splash pages for my resume has led to sharing some tools that have helped me understand the call of God.

    Here I share with you some observations made along the journey of introspective hardship and deliberate exercises to make personal change and growth in the area of personal & professional character development.

    Maybe like me you've heard it said, "all are called but few are chosen".  Well in answering "the call" there is a culling of the gifts, skills, talent, abilities, knowledge, abilities & character traits for ministry that takes place.  It's critical we discover how God see's us and this helps us see our own value.  Culling the ministry empowers us to discovery how to use this value and position our value for His purposes.  Thus, has been my experience within seminary, schooling & many life lessons.  In this culling, recognized within theological education, I decided to list some observations that are being further refined as I choose to answer the call that God has placed within my heart.  

    Within scripture we are told that God has given each of us special gifts and calls us to use them to serve one another in the body of Christ.  This entry displays some of my journey through the culling of my own ministry and answering the “call” of God.  

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”-Aristotle

 

    Self-awareness is invaluable.  I agree with Aristotle and I believe that in order to know ourselves it helps to know who God is.  In the study of God we come to know who we are and in turn gain insight and wisdom, but it begins with the Creator in my opinion.  Without our identity being rooted in the Creator as part of creation we will miss the mark and fail to know ourselves completely.  This has proven true for me in my own walk of this life as I know it.

Let's get into the observations soon but first let me cover spiritual gifts from within the Bible & feel free to skip ahead to the 6 Tables: 

• Table 1:  Church Community Builder Profile, 
• Table 2:  Spiritual Gifts Assessment, 
• Table 3:  Another Spiritual Gifts Assessment, 
• Table 4:  Leadership Assessments, 
• Table 5:  Marston Behavioral/Personality Assessment, 
• Table 6:  Work Interest Assessment.
• Table 7:  Additional Personality Assessment article entry link👉 (NERIS Type)

I'll consider covering Skills, Talents, Abilities, Knowledge & Experience in a separate Blog entry in greater detail.

    In case you’re exploring your own personal gifts, it’s important to examine ALL of the biblical scripture.  Here are a few on the topic of gifts:

1 Peter 4:10—11 

Ephesians 3 & Ephesians 4

Galatians 5

Romans 12

1 Corinthians 12

    It’s helpful to examine these in various translations to get proper exegesis.  Don’t hesitate to get into the Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew text itself; although time consuming it’s worth it.  For a quick lesson on hermeneutics check out Getting a Grip on the Word of God.

    I recommend a separate area of study on the topic of Ministry.  See Pentecostal Doctrine Statement of Fundamental Truth 11.  See the following scriptures as well:

Mark 16:15—20

John 4:23—24

Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:16

    We believe that these gifts have a 4-fold purpose:  Evangelization of the world, Worship of God, building up a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son & Demonstrate God’s love & compassion for others.

    There is more about the gifts in the recommended reading list at the bottom of this entry regarding gifts which could be helpful additionally in your study of spiritual gifting.  

    Check out some of my testimony if you haven’t yet here:  Locked Out of Heaven.  It’s helpful to know where I’m coming from to gain insight into how I came to take on such developmental assessments as the ones I’m listing here on the blog.

Without further ado!

Table 1:  Life Church Utah profile by © 2000 – 2023 Church Community Builder.

My Fit:

    These Church profiles are an excellent way to socially match interest and skills leveraging teamwork and efficiency.  I like the stimulus production & potential that website builders such as Church Community Builder promote.

    How did I draw the conclusions above?  Continue reading and see more of the journey to discovering “my fit”.

    The tables below 👇 are a basic summary splash of personal observations gleaned through deliberate mental & emotional exercise:

    On March 21, 2018 Receiving invitation from Pastor Douglas Crabb (Christian Chapel AG in Virginia Beach, VA) I participated in this assessment from Spiritual Gifts Discovery.com.  This one was a group survey that the church sponsored, invited congregants and shared results with the participants.

    This assessment occurred as I ventured into the license to preach level of seminary with the Assemblies of God fellowship.

Table 2:  Spiritual Gifts Assessment

Spiritual Gifts Discovery is available at https://spiritualgiftsdiscovery.com

    This assessment listed 16 gifts, it's unclear to me the full scope proportion of the results at this time.

    After about a year of seminary at the Certified level, I continued to cull my ministry.  Desiring to understand the full scope of that and how to apply my gifts.  As such I stumbled upon the assessment below.  No internet required.  Finding Your Ministry by Raymond W. Hurn which is a study of the fruit and gifts of the Spirit.  

    Table 3:  More Spiritual Gift Assessment

This type of assessment listed 20 gifts.

Spiritual Gifting Test Summary: Completed Self-test to discover strengths & weakness.  Further validating the changes occurring within me.

Accordingly, my strengths & gifts are a mixture:

• Prophecy
• Knowledge
• Serving
• Teaching
• Evangelist
• Wisdom

    The rest of the results are fairly high numbers in other areas too. I believe we ought to bloom where we’re planted and whatever the body needs will drive the gifts for God is generous, loving & sovereign.  Let us remember that no test of man is absolute, God is in control. And all is for not without love (1 Corinthians13). 

Table 4:  Leadership Assessments  

See the Star in chart above☝ is about where my results indicate I am typically at between S2 & S1.

The Star above ☝is self-appraisal of where I'm at as a Pastor.

    Gained during my License to Preach course of instruction was a 35-question survey.  Least-Preferred Coworker Scale (LPC) Leadership-Style Profile Assessment.  This LPC assessment is very relevant and useful in the application of Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, summarized below.  Online you can find other types to gain similar insights for yourself. My LPC Sheet Results:

Cliff note to Fiedler's Theory.

    Fiedler’s Contingency Theory states that, for a leader to be effective, their leadership style must fit the situation. Using this model, you’ll identify your own leadership style, assess the situation that requires leadership, and determine whether you’re the right leader. In this piece, we further break down the theory, teach you how to apply it to become a better leader, and provide examples of the theory in action.

 https://asana.com/resources/fiedlers-contingency-theory

    My current proclivity as a leader is near all 3 Stars above☝ according to the LPC Leadership Survey I’m more Task-Oriented.  Which turned out to match the Marston Behavioral assessment listed below.  I’ve also marked the Development Level with a STAR to self-appraise where I am at as a growing Pastor.  Knowing these things about ourselves, we can refer to the adaptive servant/situational leadership charts and strive to build relations with people to discover what type of leadership & opportunities they need from us.  In turn better serving those around us.  

    Being that I’m task oriented I go the extra mile in the people concern so as to find the sweet spot that maybe isn’t always as natural or comfortable for me.  If we are more people concerned naturally then we may need to work extra hard at the task aspect of service.  

    In the group/team context we can use these observations to find others to counterbalance our weak spots and work together finding compliment to each other’s styles for an overall success.  Thus, is the purpose of assessments like these, they help us develop as leader’s and followers.  I believe they can help us hit the mark ethically as we strive to lead well and be more like Jesus.  Let us hit the Bull’s Eye in absolute morality!

Table 5:  Marston Behavioral Assessment  

According to this assessment I lean heavy toward the compliant, cautious, conscientious type of personality.  

Descriptions of my type of personality & the associated variations:

C:

    “C”’s are compliant and analytical.  Careful and logical lines of thinking drive them forward and accuracy is a top priority.  They hold high standards and value systematic approaches to problem solving.  Though they thrive when given opportunities to find solutions, they tend to ignore the feelings of others and can often be critical and downright crabby.  Verbalizing feelings is difficult for them, but when they are not bogged down in details and have clear-cut boundaries, they can be big assets to the team by providing calculated “reality checks”.  The “C”s biggest fear is criticism, and their need for perfectionism is often a weakness, as is their tendency to give in when in the midst of an argument.  However, they are thorough in all activities and can bring a conscientious, even-tempered element to the team that will provide solid grounding.  They value being correct the most.

C / S:

    “C/S”s are systematic and stable.  They tend to do one thing at a time—and do it right. Reserved and cautious, they would rather work behind the scenes to stay on track; however, they seldom take risks or try new things and naturally dislike sudden changes in their environments.  Precisionist to the letter, they painstakingly require accuracy and fear criticism, which they equate to failure.  Diligent workers, their motivation comes from serving others.

Biblical Examples:  Esther (Esther 4), Zechariah (Luke 1), Joseph (Matthew 1:1—23)

C / D:

    “C/D”s are cautious and determined designers who are consistently task-oriented and very aware of problems.  Sometimes viewed as insensitive, they do care about individual people but have a difficult time showing it.  They often feel they are the only ones who can do the job the way it needs to be done, but because of their administrative skills, they are able to bring plans for change and improvements to fruition.  “C/D”s tend to be serious and could benefit from being more optimistic and enthusiastic.  Despite their natural drive to achieve, they should concentrate on developing healthy relationships and simply loving people.

Biblical Examples:  Bezalel (Exodus 35:30—36, 8, 37:1—9), Jochebed (Exodus 1:22—2:4), Jethro (Exodus 2, 18)

D/S:

    “D/S”s are attainers and achievers with an ability to persevere. They are more active than passive, but they possess a kind of calm sensitivity and steadiness that makes them good leaders.  They seem to be people oriented but can easily be dominant and decisive when it comes to tasks and project planning.  They strive to accomplish goals with fierce determination that comes from strong internal drive, but they could benefit from contemplative and conservative thinking as well as spending more time focusing on relationships.

Biblical Examples:  Daniel (Daniel 1—6), Job (Job 1:5, James 5:11), Martha (Luke 10:38—42)

C/I:

    “C/I”s Pay attention to the details.  They tend to impress others by doing things right and stabilizing situations.  Not considered aggressive or pushy, they enjoy both large and small crowds.  Though they work well with people, they are sometimes too sensitive to what others think about them and their work.  They could benefit from being more assertive and self-motivated.  Often excellent judges of character, they easily trust those who meet their standards.  They are moved by genuine and enthusiastic approval as well as concise and logical explanations.

Biblical Examples:  Miriam (Exodus 15-21, Numbers 12:1—15, Ezra (Ezra 7, 8)

Conscientiousness Types Are :

• Concerned & Correct

• Detail-Oriented

• Scientific in Approach to Life

• Need All the Information Before They’ll Buy-in

Some Modern Popular Type “C” Character Examples:

Ross Geller

Niles Crane 

Mr. Spock

C3PO of Star Wars

Lisa Simpson

Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

People's Victory

  

R. Nicholas Sybrowsky

    The results seem to be fairly accurate.  My base tends to be in the “C” and from there I move about as needed for the team and situation, seems clear to me that I’m a high “C”.  It seems there is room to move from the other combinations listed above.  I’ve worked hard to develop the skill of being an influencer type and speaking in front of others and I think this has improved tremendously out of necessity and deliberately, hence I do carry some of these traits too.  Yet "I" is not my base.

Table 6:  Work Interest Assessment 

Interests Results  June '23 Below:

Career Fields Preparation Level 1  

Career Fields Preparation Level 2 

Career Fields Preparation Level 3 

Career Fields Preparation Level 4

Career Fields Preparation Level 5

    This assessment above is a very cool tool from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to help with aligning your desires with a field of work and labor that you should really enjoy.  They’re not intended to determine eligibility for hire or job placement.  Simply a tool for people to gain personal insight & develop an eligibility gap analysis.  Employers don't use these for hiring evaluation, DOL wants to know if they are.  

Summary

    Remember as your environment, desires & needs change so do the results of such assessments.  This is true for all of the assessments.  In my opinion these are snap shots of one point in time.  I suggest to myself and you that we occasionally retake the assessments, but don’t make it a point of habit and practice assessment too often either.  Simply use them as guidepost helping us along our journey in life. 

    Further contrast.  Since other factors cause influence to our human condition and what not, these tests can differ from time to time.  Perhaps after many repetitions and sets we can gain better "knowledge of thine self" & self-mastery.  Yet, we ought to be very careful avoiding overzealous dependence upon such subjective testing that can be outwitted inadvertently or even intentionally.

    My first tax paying job didn't require proficiency in reading & writing.  Only a simple hiring application.  I appreciate the idea that Knowledge + Skills + Abilities = Value.  Let me add to this equation Gifts, Talents & the condition of your heart & soul.  What's most important to me is the value God places within us and our future.  His desires & purposes point and in fact add worth magnifying our usefulness here in the world.

    Knowing our value is invaluable by means of assessments such as these.  But What's more important to me than the lesson assessments above are good attitude & learning about the merit I have in & from the perspective of the Bible.  God's view of us!.  

    My goal here has been to create a splash connection to this page for hiring committees and future employers.  And to share my journey as such encouraging others to pursue the "Call" God has on their life.

    I aimed to share my experience in an effort to spur on others who may seek to discover & deliberately build the fruit of self-control.  

    We need to know our value and our value must not be out of alignment with the environment or too unrealistic.  Gaining these characteristics and the observation of them takes serious labor and persistence on our part.  You must desire personal growth to make gains.  With this article the point is to outline my own observations steeped & gleaned over a fairly vast expanse of time.

    Let me be vulnerable, I've not really enjoyed or liked deep self-examination & these assessments but looking back I'm grateful to have them and I aim to endure more so as to be prepared for discipline from the Holy Father!  Volunteering to take a path of hardship in time grows to become a forced labor which makes the sense of voluntary spirit fade.  These exercises for me have been deeply introspective and therein lays the challenge.  Deliberate exercises that are intended to produce fruit of the Spirit in my opinion.  Inevitably the observation of such characteristics produces character with greater self-control and less selfishness.  Hopefully!

 

So now what? 

    Have you heard the call yet?  What are your gifts from above?  Are you ready to take on service to others and empty yourself of the selfish nature that crowds out your ability to value others?  Have you come to the end of yourself? As described well in The End of Me by author Kyle Idleman.

    If answering the call were easy, all would do it.  Do you know your value?  I don't mean the one that the world puts on you, I mean the value that God has on your life.  He knows the number of hairs on our heads.  He knows when a sparrow falls from the sky!

    Will you accept the invitation to attend the wedding banquet?  Will you attend the marriage supper ready; clothed in the fabric appropriate as a guest?  Are you the bride?  Use them or lose them.  The gifts from above are for the glorification of the One True King.  

    I believe God reveals the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4) when I seek and welcome 🤗 His Highest for my Utmost (great devotional Book) I have come to believe in this higher power and thus revelation has come.

    Gifts, Talents, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & the condition of your heart.  Add them up and know your value!  Give it to the One True God and serve beyond the natural.  Engage with wisdom & grace!  Know without a doubt that you're chosen.  Rest not in your laurels but rest in the faithfulness of our Lord & Savior!

    Let us rise up into the empowerment from above!  Glorification of God, reaching the lost, discipling the found and building up the body for compassion services.  We need each other and God has chosen His Church the body of Christ to be the conduit of his Kingdom come.

May God's perfect will be done in us all!

    Standing firm in the faith, taking initiative, engaging with wisdom & grace, planning & providing, united in the body & propagating His Kingdom come!

    Hopefully the sharing of some of my journey can help you to become equipped to labor in the harvest ahead and glorify God.

Sincerely,

Nicholas

 

References:

• Department of Labor Interest Assessment
• Dr. Marston Behavioral Assessment
• Finding Your Ministry Spiritual Gifts Assessment Schedule A by Raymond W. Hurn
• Spiritual Gifts Discovery is available at https://spiritualgiftsdiscovery.com
• Fiedler's Situational Leadership Theory Least-Preferred Coworker Scale Leadership Survey (Seminary Hand-out).
• Church Profile:  Church Community Builder.

Recommended reading: 

• The Purpose & Value of Spiritual Gifts By R.B. Chapman
• Gifts of the Spirit.  Dr. George O. Wood
•  "All are called few are chosen." Matthew 22:14 The parable of the wedding feast.  Jesus Kingdom of heaven comparison.  
• End of Me by Kyle Idleman 
• His Highest for My Utmost by Oswald Chambers 

• Top 7 Spiritual Gifts Tests, Assessments, and Inventories

  A Comparison and Overview of the Most Popular Assessments By Ashley Denton