What kind of environment best fits your personality and calling?
Once you know what you want to offer people, determining which environments (contexts) you flourish in can be very helpful. For example, I love to teach, but I would not do well teaching Junior High. I also would not flourish serving in an institutional setting that felt too restrictive or that was led by an overbearing authority structure.
However, I do love to teach through writing, blogging and speaking. I also love to bring discernment and direction through everyday conversation with family and friends. The right environment can encourage our particular splendor: the wrong one can suffocate it.
I’ll add a word of caution here: Sometimes, God will place us in contexts we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves: Those places may feel unwelcoming and hostile. Yet, our Counselor may still need us there for a reason, for a season. Remember, he's a master tactician and knows what he's doing.
Again, it’s always helpful to ask: “God, is this where you need me right now? Is this where you would have me bring my splendor for a time?”
What environments do your gifts and glory thrive in?