The Bible tells us: ‘[The disciples] were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak different languages by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them. There were some religious Jews staying in Jerusalem...each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were completely amazed at this. They said, “Look! Aren’t all these people that we hear speaking from Galilee? Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own languages?”’ (v.4-8 NCV). What they were witnessing was fulfilment of an Old Testament prophesy: ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people’ (Joel 2:28 NCV).

So what can we learn from this? When we’re filled with God’s Spirit, He’ll equip each of us to reach a specific kind of person or group of people in a way they’ll understand. Psalm 33:15 says: ‘He fashions [our] hearts individually’ (NKJV). God doesn’t ask each of us to reach every type of person. Instead, He’s created us to have a heart for certain groups more than others. And that’s okay, because that’s how He designed us.

So how do you find out who He wants you to reach out to? Start off by asking yourself these questions: 1) Who do you find it easy to talk to? Maybe you feel uncomfortable talking to adults, but you get on great with children. 2) Who do you feel the most compassion for? It might be homeless people, asylum seekers, victims of violence. Chances are that your answers to these two questions are where your heart and calling lies, and that could be where God’s leading you to reach out to people.

What Now?

Are you unsure who God’s caring you to reach out to? Take some time today to think about how you'd answer the two questions in today's reading, and see if that helps you get a better understanding of your calling.