Our good friend, Rob Cizek, executive pastor at Northshore Christian Church originally posted this on his blog: robcizek.com. We are rerunning it with his permission.

What makes pastors unhappy? It is so valuable to ask questions of the people you encounter, especially when they are experts in their field. Recently I met a person who makes their living coaching pastors. This is a prominent person with an insider vantage point from which to view church leaders.

I used the opportunity to ask, “What is the greatest challenge to healthy ministry?” Without hesitation the person answered, “Misalignment . . . misalignment of pastors’ skills and gifts and the work they actually do.”

Wow. It’s amazing to think that of all the challenges pastors face, gift alignment problems are what are making some sick.

My expert gave the example of an unhappy senior pastor. This pastor used to be an incredible associate pastor. In that role the pastor’s strengths and gifts were used every day. He was happy and effective. This happy associate later became senior pastor. It seemed to him (and most people) the next logical step up the ladder. However, as senior pastor, this person isn’t using his strengths every day. He is manufacturing energy to do a job that doesn’t fit him. He is suffering and so is his church.

Over time, pastors can become so “others focused” they no longer consider themselves.

They fail to ask, “Am I happy?” or “Do I feel God’s pleasure in doing this?” While self-sacrifice is part of following Jesus, being a mismatched part of His body is not.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ . . . The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. (1 Corinthians 12:12-23)

Most people have a sweet spot. It’s doing the work they are called and gifted to do. The work comes naturally and in a way that satisfies. On either side of that sweet spot is work we can do, but it requires unusual amounts of effort. These are the areas in which we are capable, but not gifted. These areas may get us a paycheck, but they will never get us awards. If we continue to work outside our sweet spot we become weary, worn down and burned out. This mismatch of skills and work assignment isn’t good for us or our teams. Just because we are capable of something doesn’t mean we should do it.

TOOLS TO HELP WITH JOB ALIGNMENT: Aligning our strengths with our job really isn’t hard. Here are some simple tools that will help you determine your skills and gifts. Once we know what they are, it’s relatively simple to find the kind of assignments that play to our strengths.

JOURNAL FOR A WEEK: Strengths expert Marcus Buckingham recommends that we keep a small notebook with us for a week. Each time we do something that energizes and encourages us, write it down. Conversely, when we do things that leave us drained and frustrated, write them down. The things that energize you are the things you should be doing professionally.

STRENGTHSFINDER ONLINE ASSESSMENT: Take this test online for $15 and it provides you with your “Top 5” strengths. I use this with my staff and with all finalists for a job opening. Most people say it paints an accurate picture. It gets illuminating when you compare your results with those of your co-workers. Take it here: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Purchase/

FREE SPIRITUAL GIFTS INVENTORY: In addition to our innate talents, God is at work in us. The Holy Spirit gives each of us special abilities:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

To help determine your gifts, these assessments are available free online:

Free Spiritual Gifts Test: http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/tests

Free Spiritual Gifts Inventory: http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgicg/gifts.cgi?intro=1

Honestly, how good of a fit are you to your current job? Are you energized when doing your duties? Do you accomplish them with natural ease or forced effort? Do you look forward to going to work? Do you enable your organization to go further or are you holding it back?

Don’t be a frustrated, misaligned cog when you can be an aligned and energized superstar. What we do is so important it shouldn’t be any other way.