Answer the call!

If you have been following along, you know I’ve been talking about purpose. Purpose is the umbrella over why you do anything. Purpose is the WHY. Today we are going to talk about CALLING.

CALLING is the WHAT.

The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines “CALLING” as: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence.

In Scripture we see CALLING mentioned in Ephesians 4:1-6:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

and

1 Corinthians 7:17

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.

There are more! I encourage you to look up verses that have to do with calling. God’s Word is so inspiring! His assurance that we are indeed CALLED BY HIM is the reminder we need to keep going!

CALLING doesn’t have to be a job. It doesn’t have to be your career path or earn you any money. It may coincide with what you do for a living but some of us work to pay the bills and may not call our work our calling. I think sometimes we see people on Instagram “living out their calling” by starting businesses or founding a non-profit or getting paid for their work in ministry and that’s great but it’s not always the case. Please don’t think you can’t follow your calling because you are too busy with your day job. God will provide you the opportunity to answer the call. You may have a strong impulse to start a podcast or to write a book or to gather people in your home. Maybe God is calling you to walk across the street and say hello to your neighbor. Maybe He wants you to tell your children about Him. Or volunteer at the homeless shelter.

Sure, some people are called to speak from a stage but not all of us. Some will have an audience of millions and will travel the world, some will be called to stay home and raise their children and home school them. There is not one way this will look. And one way is not better than another. Sometimes I think we look at another person who is living out his/her calling and we want what they have so we try to follow in their footsteps. But God has a UNIQUE CALLING for each of us. If it’s not for us, it won’t work. If we are not connected to God through His Word and through prayer, then we may try to “make it work” through hard work and white knuckling and striving. But if it’s not from God, it will not have the transformational power of God behind it. We can wear ourselves out trying to live out other people’s callings. Let’s not do that.

How has God transformed your life?

How can you take your own personal transformation and use it to help transform the world?

Maybe you’ve experienced health issues and you’ve discovered a new path to feeling great and you feel called to educate others. Maybe you suffered from PTSD and learned how to cope and you feel called to share what you’ve learned. Maybe you want to help others get sober because sobriety saved your life. Maybe you have kids with learning disabilities and you feel called to help other parents. Maybe God’s Word has been your lifeline through hard times so you feel called to share His Word with others through a blog or social media. Maybe you have been through challenging times in your marriage and you want to walk with other couples toward healing. Maybe you feel lonely and God is calling you to open your home to gather neighbors. Maybe you love kids and want to invest in the future and you are called to teach but you have a day job so you find a way to teach at Sunday school or art camp on the weekends so you can invest in the hearts and minds of young people. Maybe you are adopted so you feel called to adopt. Maybe you struggled as a single mom so you feel called to help single moms make ends meet. Maybe Jesus saved your life (can I get an AMEN?) and you feel called to be a preacher. Maybe music saved your life so you feel called to sing and mentor other singers. Maybe yoga or fitness or meditation helped you find peace and clarity and communion with God so you feel called to teach and share with others.

The possibilities are endless.

It takes introspection. It takes stillness. It takes patience. And then it requires obedience.

God’s calling is not always a loud ringing alarm. It’s often a soft whisper.

God’s calling doesn’t always fit our schedule of 9-5 and no weekends. It’s often an after hours, early morning, middle of the night, 24/7 invitation.

If you are looking for easy and convenient, CALLING is not that. But when it’s right, it will feel right and when you are in it, you will feel alive and in the flow. You won’t care what day or time it is because you will be alive and vibrant and in your gifting and impacting the world. You will be plugged into your source and ALL LIT UP.

This is what we are here for. This is the invitation.

God is calling you. Will you answer?