Calling requires a Caller. God is always the caller. Like sheep who know the voice of the Shepherd, we need to know the voice of our Caller. It is the Creator, the Almighty who Calls. It is God who is already doing the work, and calls us to join Him to participate in His work in building for the Kingdom.
Calling requires a Receiver. You and I are the receiver. Again, you need to listen for yourself. It is not for someone else to tell you YOUR Calling. We listen with humble hearts. We need to be actively listening for the Caller and to be open and available to what the Caller will call us to. We participate in what God is already doing in the world.
Calling requires a Message. The message is an invitation. The message may not be what we want to hear. The message will move us into action. When we hear the message, there will be a gut feeling that moves us into action. It will still require discernment-continuous discernment- to ensure that it is indeed Jesus' voice. And while it stirs us and may even give us a feeling of inadequacy and fear, it will also give us peace. The feeling of inadequacy is not to deter us, but it does ensure that we depend on God because our calling is often a bigger than ourselves and does invite us out of our comfort zone. It will draw us into deeper relationship, trust, faith and dependent life in the Triune God.
What is God doing around you? What talents and gifts have God gifted you for service in the Kingdom? What need is in your city or your neighborhood? What are you passionate about? What verse or story in Scripture has God placed in your heart today? Sometimes our calling may be prompted by situations that upset us? What do we care about?
It's important to remember that it is not what others want for you, but what God wants for you; the distinction is important to uncover our motives and motivations because when we encounter failure, it will be the motivations and convictions (remembering it is God who Calls) that will help us through it. Talk about it with elders and people you trust.
How you live out your calling requires imagination! There is no formula. Be willing, open, and available to what God is doing, trusting in Him, and take steps by talking to others about it, taking action to test it. We may have many passions and have many ideas but we need to incarnate those passions and ideas in practical ways--take action. Remembering that it will take time so be patient and there will be risks. Pray and ask God to bless you if it indeed God's calling for you. More, remember that it is God's calling for you-you are not alone; the Holy Spirit is with you from beginning to end, and God will also bring other people along with you to support you and to encourage you. God will equip you and empower you for the task.
I get anxious when I wonder if i'm doing what God is calling me to. Am I doing what God has called me to? What if I miss my calling? I was reminded by a wise friend that our calling is one of the paradoxes of our lives. "Calling" is a military term in response to a King. Fundamentally, it is less about what you do and more importantly about our response to the One who calls. We can be called to run a company. We can also be called to clean the hallways of a school or clean the sewer pipes. Work is to glorify God and there is therefore no hierarchy of work. And if and when the King calls you to something else, we respond, we go, and we do it equally well, bringing our best tp our work, and with all our heart, mind, and soul.
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