God's Calling

How to Discover What God's Calling is for You

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Saved Christians can spend a whole lot of time wondering and pondering on what God's unique calling is for their  lives.

They pray to be shown what God has called them to do.

They "listen" for God to tell them what his calling for them is.

They ask for their calling to be revealed to them in a dream.

They ask the Holy Spirit to guide them to their personal calling.

And so on.

They spend a lot of time looking, seeking and wondering in many different directions when, what they really need to do is pick up their bible.

God's calling for each and every Christian is actually very clearly stated in scripture. There is no need to guess what it is, ask for it to be shown to you in a dream to it or pray that God will show you what your calling is.

The Holy Spirit both urges us to understand God's calling and tells us directly in God's word what God's calling is for each and every one of us as saved Christians.

Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us - "15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

It is necessary to make a clear and important distinction here which is: there is God's calling and there is free will choice.

Yes, Christians, even though they are saved still exercise their free will choice.

Many, however, have a tendency to confuse God's calling with their free will choice and attribute their own choices to a calling from God.

Which is exactly what has happened when, for example, a Christian woman assuredly tells you that after much prayer God has shown her that his calling for her is to be a nurse in a third world country. Or a singer, or a doctor, worship band leader, writer, you name it.

There are also those folks who, not having yet received their personal indication from God, genuinely want to do what he has called them to do but don't know what it is or where to start with it all.

So they wait. Sometimes they refer to this a their time in the desert.

Contrary to what a lot of people may think God does not give out jobs, or assign careers, vocations or professions.

And despite, again, what people may think the Bible clearly describes God's "high calling" for everyone:

Philippians 3:14 - "14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Compared to God's high calling all earthly vocations are, there is no  other way to say it, lowly. Every single one. Which clearly rules out the vocational wish lists of many Christians. 

Yes, we absolutely need Godly people in every single industry, career, profession, job and vocation here on earth. Where you land, however, is a matter of your strengths, interests and proclivities, all of which will lead to the choices that you make as to what to do with those.

God, on the other hand, has called you to something so much bigger than that. His calling is an eternal and holy one.

He doesn't call you to an earthly career. God calls you to an heavenly vocation.

Ephesians 2:6 - "6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"

and 2 Timothy 1:9 - "9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

God's calling is also not a secret, but rather has been clearly revealed for all of us in scripture:

We can see this in 1 Corinthians 1:26 where Paul told the Corinthians - "26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:"

So if we get to being wise, feeling noble, self-important, or are fleshly focused regarding our "unique" calling we'll miss God's calling, because we may think that God's calling as laid out for us in scripture is far less interesting, significant or as appealing as what we have in mind for ourselves or think we are capable of.

Which puts us in jeopardy of completely missing or even disregarding what we are clearly told in:

Titus 2:11 - "11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,"

We are called to preach Christ, the gospel of salvation. This calling has been given to all of us.

1 Corinthians 1:23 - "23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

We, just like the Corinthians, are called to be saints:

1 Corinthians 1:2 - "2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:"

...and we are called unto the fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 1:9 - "9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

It is God's calling that all of us be saved and it is our "vocation" to come to the knowledge of the truth:

1 Timothy 2:3-4 - "3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

Our official "position" is in Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

And our "job title" is Ambassador:

2 Corinthians 5:20 - "20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

It is our high calling to walk worthy of the vocation that God has given us in Christ:

Ephesians 4:1 - "4 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,"

How we walk worthy is described in Ephesians 4.  (Clicking that link will take you to Bible Gateway so you can read Ephesians 4)

What we do in our lives to walk worthy of God's calling, how we make our money, what we do for a living, how we use our talents and even how we help the people in the world is our free will choice, not a specific calling from God.

Ephesians 1:15-18:

"15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"

I pray that that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened, that God may give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him and that none of us is ever disappointed to learn that God has not called us to be his gift to the world.

Because he has called us to so much more!

It is very important for us to know that, regardless of what vocation we choose to engage in while we wait for Christ to return,  be it a doctor, janitor, social worker, singer, garbage man, assembly line worker, nurse, thrift store worker, bottle sorter or whatever, that by faith we must understand that our first priority and service is to God and his ministry in everything that we do:

Colossians 3:23-24 - "23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

(Notice Paul says "whatsover ye do" not "whatsoever ye have been called by God to do". Important distinction.)

And that in knowing this, we can walk worthy of God's calling, choosing a livelihood and using our talents and strengths in ways that bring honor and glory to God, helping to fulfill his calling to see all men be saved and all to come to the knowledge of the truth, being an ambassador for Jesus Christ and speaking his clear saving gospel of Grace far and wide for all to hear!

We will be judged for how we carried out what God clearly called us to in his word, in scripture. We will have to answer for the choices we made and how or whether or not they put him first and carried on his ministry here on earth and helped all men to be saved which is what God wants.

God has left nothing to chance. He has been absolutely clear in his word. His calling for us is both unspeakable and unique, indeed. Unique in that it is not available, to everyone, but only to believers who have received salvation, by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Isn't it wonderful to know what God's calling is for you?

God bless,

Clare

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