Making Sense of Your God-Given Calling
Do you know your God-given calling but are having a hard time determining how you should carry it out? You’re not alone. We all have a unique, individual purpose with so many ways we can go about pursuing it. But with so many gifts, talents, and passions it can be hard to determine what’s best to pursue.
Well, the first place to start is to make sure that it is directly from God. Your passions are to satisfy yourself, but your calling is to serve others. So before you dive first into a passion project, here is how to make sense of your God-given calling.
Understand the calling
Don't just throw spaghetti at the wall to see what will stick. Determine what God is calling you to do. Ask yourself, “what is my purpose,” and “how is God calling me to carry it out right now?” One of the biggest myths we can believe is that we are only called to one thing, one task, or to one job. Oftentimes God is calling us to exactly where we are at right now. Other times, God may be calling you to start the next thing or to move into a different season. Any time you are trying to discern your calling, ask yourself why. If your answer does not align with your purpose, nine times out of 10 you aren't being called.
Go through the preparation
Before God calls us, He makes sure that we are fully prepared and equipped for what He’s calling us to. For some of us, we may have experienced certain struggles or sufferings that make us empathize with the people God has given us a burden for. For others of us, we have gained experience by using our natural gifts and talents that others are drawn to us for the sole reason of our purpose and calling. What in your life or past experiences have prepared you for what God is calling you to do?
The other part of preparation has to do with the season and timing of your calling. Just because God has called you doesn't mean that it's time to pursue the call. When we first uncover our God-given purpose there will be a season where natural promotion occurs but immediately after that, we get demoted into a valley of dependence where God is molding us and refining us for our calling. This is when we enter into a season of preparation where God is equipping us with the character, skills, and confidence to carry out our calling.
A great example of this in the Bible is David. David was called to be king as a teenager but it took 23 years until he could finally reign as king. Same with Joseph. He got a glimpse of his calling when he was a teenager but didn't walk in the fullness of it until 20 years later. During those years of waiting, David and Joseph were being prepared to handle the weight of their calling. So if it's not the time or season for your calling don't be discouraged. God is equipping and preparing you for what He's designed you to do.
Get confirmation
Before you get excited and start claiming that this calling is from God, make sure that you get confirmation. Every desire and idea does not come from God. Sometimes we'll have great ideas but those ideas don't have God's approval. The best way that you can confirm that your calling is in fact from the Lord is to pray and fast. Prayer coupled with fasting is the best way to get clarity and confirmation from God. Make sure that you’re going to Him first and foremost. Then if you need additional guidance, reach out to wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 tells us that “Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” Don’t just make a self-centered decision, make a spirit-led one by getting confirmation.
Create an action plan
Once you have confirmed what the Lord is calling you to do and that it is the time and season to do it, create an action plan. What goals do you want to accomplish? How do those goals align with your calling? What are three to five action steps that you can take to get started? Once you’ve created an action plan make sure that you find someone to hold you accountable to those plans. A part of having faith and trusting God’s plan is to take action.
Get started
Now that you understand your calling, allowed yourself to go through the preparation, and got confirmation and made a plan of action, it’s time to get after it. In order to do what God is calling you to do you can't just dream about it or plan it out -- you must take action. The Lord loves to see the work begin (Zechariah 4:10). Don't allow fear or feelings of inadequacy keep you from pursuing God's plan. Don't procrastinate or make excuses for why you can’t do what He’s calling you to do. If He's called you, He's already qualified you, so it's up to you to believe it and start walking in this truth. Trust that His strength is made perfect in your weakness and that He will accomplish His will through you.
It can be difficult to determine your God-given calling. That is why it’s so important that you develop a strong relationship with your Creator. You won’t be able to discern your calling if you can’t hear His voice. Take some time to tune in and ask Him how He is calling you to serve His Kingdom. That way when you’re ready you’ll be able to boldly move into what He has prepared and called you to do.
Need help clarifying what God has called you to do? Learn how you can understand God’s purposes for you and the essentials of purpose-driven living in the On-Purpose Life Course. In the four-week On-Purpose Life Course we will dive into the biblical foundation of purpose and you will discover the threads that are tying your purpose together so you can start uncovering yours. Click the button to learn more and enroll.
Embark on your purpose discovery journey and how you can live a life in alignment with God’s plan in the free Live On Purpose Lifestyle Guide.
