“David . . . fulfilled God’s purpose in his own generation.” (Acts 13)
Do you want to know God’s call for your life?
God called David to lead Israel as its king. God called David to a specific mission at a particular time in history–and he fulfilled it.
But today, many of us misunderstand what “fulfilling God’s call” means. When we envision God’s “call,” we picture Billy Graham booming from a podium in a packed stadium; Mother Theresa ministering among the poverty-stricken masses in Calcutta; Joan of Arc liberating France.
Surely that’s not that kind of “call” God has for us? Probably not. (If it is, odds are you know your call already!) But how can we know what our purpose in our generation is? What does our “call” look like?
As Christians, we share some universal calls. For instance, we’re all called to love and obey God by living godly lives. He calls all of us to love and serve others, to share the gospel, to show mercy and grace.
But there are calls that differentiate us within the church body; individuals calls to personal missions and specific tasks. (Ephesians 2:10) It’s God’s personal call that stirs us to action, gets our blood pumping, and makes our work unique.
But how do we find our call?
I once attended a workshop led by savvy marketing expert, Laura Christianson that really helped me clarify God’s call for my life. In the session, she led us through an exercise to hone our “branding” for our ministry, and in a sense, find our calling. In the exercise, we wrote down significant events in our life that had shaped us in some way. I included a brief summary of how each event had impacted me. After I had compiled my list of events and reviewed my summaries, I noticed repeated words and phrases and circled them. As I prayerfully contemplated the circled words, a clear theme emerged.
And I took a big step toward finding my calling.
Here are a few questions to help you get started in identifying God’s unique call for you:
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What are you passionate about–and I mean passionate about? It’s easy to get caught up in social causes or get swallowed by the myriad of “needs” drumming at our doors. But what about YOU. What do you tend to focus on when discussing spiritual matters? What need in God’s people, the world, and yourself do you most often notice and feel compelled to address? (Still stuck? Ask your family and friends what passion they see in you if you can’t identify anything in particular.)
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Make a list of key events God has used in your life to shape you in some significant way. Summarize how each event impacted you. Review your list and summaries circling any repeated words or phrases. Do you see the common thread God has woven throughout your story? As you contemplate what you see, ask God to help you identify your theme.
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Write a brief summary of the theme you think God is revealing to you.
Chances are, you’re looking at the seed of God’s unique calling for your life.
Now continue to pray about it until God crystalizes His call for you. Excited? I’m excited for you!
The theme of your personal story is the platform from which God will speak through you for His kingdom purposes–
In your home.
In your church.
In your world.
And as you go about fulfilling God’s unique call, don’t forget His common call to share His love along the way.
After completing the questions above, what theme did God reveal to you?
Photos courtesy of Crestock.com
Comments 12
Excellent post! Thank you–perfectly timed! Blessings, luke
Thanks, Luke. 🙂
Sometimes I wish God would hand down a scroll from the sky telling me exactly what I’m supposed to do next. But if that happened it would probably be written in Hebrew so I couldn’t read it anyway. 😉
Your suggestions are much more practical.
Jan, I loved your humor! Thanks for sharing.
Bethany,
Your post was perfect timing and a great tool as I prepare for a She Speaks Conference.
You definitely have found your niche!
I’m praying God clarifies His call for you. 🙂
Great post! Made me want to go back and rethink and see how on focus I am with these suggestions. I wish I had been there to take that session with Laura Christianson….I’m sure it would have been as helpful as the last one at Mt. Hermon.
Anything that helps me focus is always welcome. And sometimes going back to revisit a call God has already given, gets us moving forward. There are so many distractions in life, aren’t there? 🙂
Thanks for this Bethany! It’s so what I needed to read today.
Blessings,
Sarah
I’m so glad it helped you. 🙂
Hi Bethany,
Thanks for the mention. I had forgotten about that exercise, and I’m glad you found it helpful in identifying your calling. Hope your summer is going well.
Thanks for stopping by, Laura. 🙂 Your workshops are always empowering!