The idea of a specific calling has been talked about so much in Christian culture. If you’re anything like I am, you might feel a little confused about what that actually looks like in your own life. I’ve heard a couple of things recently that helped make so much sense of this.
Last week, as I was at my weekly Bible study group (we’re studying The Inheritance by Beth Moore), I wrote down a statement that I knew I needed to think about and to share with other people. I’m paraphrasing it, but the idea is this:
What have you found victory over? That’s your starting place for figuring out your “thing”.
If you’re trying to figure out what God wants you to do with your life, start by sharing with other people the area where God taught you your biggest lessons. That’s terrifying and exciting at the same time.
Those words fit so nicely with another quote I read by Emily Freeman in her book, A Million Little Ways:
“Maybe those things bringing you joy do so because they are one of the many ways in which God wants to declare his glory through you.”
Those are the two thoughts that are ringing in my head right now. How about you? Do you think a good starting point for figuring out your calling might be to answer these two questions: What have you found victory over? What brings you joy?
Funny that the things we have victory over at some point sometimes come back to cause us struggles again. Like weight, for example. I have had a lot of victory in this area over the years, but still fail miserably so often that I’m not sure it is a calling to help others with it.
I never thought much about a calling. I’ve thought about what gifts God has given me to use and what talents I have that I can enjoy using, both for Him and for others. But it has been my experience that He has had me do vastly different things at different times in my life, so when I look back I don’t see any specific calling, other than following Christ. To me, there is just something about “a calling” that implies permanence, and the only permanent thing in my life has been my faith in Christ.
Those are some good insights. I think it’s probably more than just one thing we are called to and not necessarily just one BIG thing.