Due to questions asked by many Christians and ordinary folks regarding what is their purpose in life, and how to go about discovering their God-endowed abilities and talents, it became imperative for me to search the Word of God - which is the ultimate manual of His creation, and bring knowledge to the body of Christ.

Many Christians think that the Great Commission given by the Lord Jesus to the saints to "Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptisizing them"... that we have all been called to be Pastors and preachers - standing on the pulpit. Well, that's not so. According to the Bible, other than the Church or other religious organizations there are other areas or institutions that God has established on earth which will affect every person wherever they may be in the society. I will attempt to present to you the Seven MAJOR INSTITUTIONS that govern every sphere of man's life in a given community or society.

I call them the 7 MOUNTAINS OF SOCIETY (Isaiah 2:2,3)

In Romans 12:4-8 seven "gifts of grace" are listed by the apostle Paul stating the different functions of the Members of one Body. In the following highlights, I will juxtapose these 7 gifts with the 7 Institutions and give a brief commentary on each, and you'll discover that you have been given grace to function in one or more of these gifts.

So, here we go;

1. PROPHECY : (Religion] These should not be mistaken for prophets alone but everyone who is called to be a full time preacher. These are the body of people who are specially called and anointed to stand in the Office of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher, and their primary assignment is clearly stated in EPHESIANS 4:11-13.

2. RULER [Government/Administration] These are those who are gifted with leadership abilities, examples are political leaders, corporate leaders, senators, governors, school prefects, student union leaders etc.

3. GIVING [Commerce & Industry/Wealth Creation and Distribution]. This here refers to people gifted in the economic sector. They have the ability to generate and equitably distribute the wealth of nations and corporate or private organizations. They are also captains of industries and entrepreneurs, business owners, traders, craftsmen, bankers, technicians etc. As the title implies, God intended that wealth be GIVEN (shared) out and not to be hoarded - that's the reason the Bible calls it the grace of Giving!

4. TEACHING [Education/Learning] This is the beloved academic institutions and those gifted with teaching and nurturing, harnessing and deploying potentials and abilities. They are found in schools, universities, colleges and various other institutions of learning in name of teachers, lecturers, tutors, professors etc.

5. Ministry (Entertainment/Sports]. This is the exciting world of entertainment. The word ministry is translated here as service or those who provide entertainment services. Actors, comedians, musicians, dancers and sports men and women fall in this category.

6. EXHORTATION [Communication/Media]. This here refers to the Social media and Communications sector in general. God intends that the news we hear everyday exhort (encourage) people, hence the name EXHORTATION, but sadly, many news channels broadcasts only things that are either not true or that cause panic and discouragement.

7. MERCY [Charitable Organisations/Social Care-givers]. Lastly, this is the broad sector of social champions. Those who, out of their good hearts advocate for better environment, social equality and justice, human rights, etc. They are called many names, like Social Activists, Red Cross society, Child rights groups etc. They are also found in hospitals as doctors, the courts as lawyers and so on.

I hope that you identify your areas of strength and apply yourself accordingly. One way to know what you have been gifted with is to understand the things that you can do easily and without needing much assistance or help from anyone but that you only have to sharpen to become perfect. Lastly, all the above mentioned institutions are rewarded accordingly for their efforts, and some even become very rich and popular by diligently applying their skills and talents!

Mind you, everyone of the other institutions other than the ordained, full-time priests can preach, but not as effective as the specially ordained ministers. Priests and pastors can also be found in other industries but are more committed to their primary calling.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to ask questions if you don't seem to find your place here. I'll be glad to reply. Shalom!