What is My Calling
What is My Calling?
We want to know. We try to guess, to figure it out. We list our gifts and our talents and imagine it has something to do with those. We think about what we enjoy, what we hope it is. We are so self-absorbed. Our calling is not about us. It has nothing to do with our selfish desires. It is not about our personality or our temperament. If we continue to turn our eyeballs inside and only think about us, we will never hear the call of God. We will go on wondering, what is my calling?
Everyone has been called. Yes, everyone. We imagine that God will shout down from the heavens and force us or maybe plead with us to fulfill our calling, but that is not the nature of God. He does not force His will on us. When we find ourselves questioning, what is my calling, it is because we cannot hear the voice of God. We are not face to face with Him. We are listening to our selfish desires and our human thoughts. We are thinking with our limited resources instead of tapping into the One who has no limitations.
So, what are we to do?
Repent. Repentance leads us to a complete change in how we think. You see, we are so focused on our ideas and our opinions that we cannot hear God. Doing what we think is best is not what we are to be doing. His ways are not our ways and so many times will not even make sense to us. Acts 26:20 says, “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance”. True repentance is evidenced by our changed behavior. Paul said, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Repentance leads to transformation which leads to hearing God’s direction. Repentance is not a one time gig; it is a continual posture of our heart.
Be grateful. In Matthew 22:14 Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen”. We read that and are so arrogant that we feel sorry for those who have not been called. However, scholars say that the word called here refers to being invited. So, you might read that as many are invited, but few accept and follow Jesus. If we have accepted Him, then we have accepted what He has done for us. We have accepted that we have been spared from an eternity in hell. Oh, if only our gratefulness matched the enormity of God’s gift, His only Son’s life for ours.
It makes me sad to think I could forget to be grateful for even a second. That I could focus on my hurt feelings instead of what He has done for me. I hate that at times it is my lack of gratitude that deafens my ears and keeps me from hearing the voice of God. Isaiah was grateful to God and Isaiah 6:8 tells us, “I heard the voice of the lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” It was out of gratitude that Isaiah immediately responded, “Here am I! Send me.” Just like the disciples, when we hear the still small voice of Jesus say, “Follow me”, we should get up and do just that. If we have accepted Jesus, are we filled with gratitude and following Him?
Thirdly, we should…(What should I say here? Be obedient? Experience His Presence? Spend time in the Word? Know Jesus more? Yes, those are all part of yielding to our calling and they all require our taking our hands off our calling. God doesn’t need our help to figure it out. Let’s raise our hands and let’s…) surrender. I know I talk about that a lot and it is probably because I struggle with it. But, don’t we all? Can we all just raise our hands in complete and total surrender to God? Can we tell Him that we want what He has for us, that we will do what He wants us to do, that we will go where He wants us to go, that we will become who He has created us to become. No more trusting in our opinions and our ideas. No more bailing when things don’t go our way. No more doing what people think we should do.
When we repent, turn from our ways and begin to transform into who He has created us to be;
when we are overwhelmed with gratitude for what He has done for us;
when we lay ourselves down and surrender our all to Him
– He reveals our calling to us one step at a time.
Who will join me and pray…
God, forgive us. Forgive us for being so vain and elevating ourselves above You. You are God Almighty, our Father, the Creator of All, the Infinite One! We bow down to You.
God, thank You! Oh Lord, thank You for who You are and what You have done. We deserve hell, yet You have saved us. We don’t deserve it and can never repay it. Thank You for Your amazing grace. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for this second, this breath, for every gift. May You find us faithful.
God, I surrender all! I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. Help me remember that. Help me to lay my life down daily so I can walk with You. Help me hear You, help me follow You, help me to live a life that brings honor and glory to You.
God, I want to fulfill the calling You have for me and my life. I long to do what You would have me to do. I want to be one with You so I can hear You. I am committed to follow You all the days of my life.
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