How Do I Find My Calling?

What is my calling? How do I know that I’m called to ministry? What is my purpose in this life? These are questions I hear all the time, and I was once the person constantly asking God these same questions. I always associated calling as a destination, but it wasn’t until recently God allowed me the grace to view it this way: 

But first, let’s pray. Father, I thank you for calling this beautiful soul for so much more than they can imagine right now. Allow them the grace and strength to keep moving forward in the name of Jesus. Amen

Calling vs. Talent 

Calling is not a DESTINATION; it is a JOURNEY! Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23).” The keyword in this passage is “daily.” We often confuse “calling” for the means within us that God uses to reach various people. For example, the five-fold (pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet, and evangelist) but these are not what God is calling us to do; they are the method that God has weaved within us from our mother’s womb. It’s not that he called you to be a prophet, but he designed you to be one. The way an apostles’ mind is wired concerning everything is not the same as the other folds. Before Paul became an Apostle, he acted like one; on the road to Damascus, when Jesus encountered him, he was on his way to implement laws that would continue the persecution of Christians in that town. He had a pioneer mindset. 

In the same way, when he became an Apostle, he built churches all over to spread the gospel apostolically. What God was calling him to do daily didn’t always look the same. However, he was always obedient to Holy Spirit and took up his cross daily, and followed Christ. 

Walking in Purpose

The gifting that God has given us as an outlet to preach the gospel can also be “secular.” We are not all wired or have the anointing to be in the five-fold, but some of us can teach, run a business, write, etc. Within that special grace that God has given you in this specific area, how have you used it to spread the good news? What are you good at? Whatever you are thinking about at this very moment is the talent that God has given you, and have you used it to tell someone about Jesus? Have you multiplied that talent? For example, I knew for years that I would start writing, but I never thought it would be for God because, for some reason, even as a child, writing was always my outlet of expression. No matter the emotional state I found myself in, I would always want to write about it. I tried to run away from the idea of starting a faith-based website, but I couldn’t escape that nudging in my spirit. Writing is my gift, but the Holy Spirit calls me to write about a new topic with each post based on my reader’s need. Today, he is calling me to write to people asking the questions above, and tomorrow, he might call me to write a poem for a friend battling depression. Our calling does change each day, but the end result is still the same—to show the love of God to those around us. Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow him daily; the cross will not always look the same each day. Maybe today, God is calling you to buy groceries for your neighbor, or he is calling you to pray for your students. I encourage you to take it one day at a time and be obedient to Holy Spirit as he nudges you. 

Instead of asking God what your calling is every day and feeling stuck when you don’t get the answer you were expecting. I encourage you to ask, Holy Spirit, what are you calling me to do today? The bible says in Acts 1:2, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” We are all called to bear witness of Jesus Christ, the way we each do that is different. What is your way of preaching the gospel? Our calling is a daily journey that Holy Spirit takes us on as we obey him. What is he calling you to do today? Don’t be so consumed by the thoughts of comparison because you see others around you walking in their “calling.” Be consumed by using your talent to reach the unsaved. Trust me, we all have a talent––whether it’s raw or polished, it is there. Am I the best writer? No, but I know when I write, it uniquely touches people because it’s the grace God has given me. I encourage you to explore yours. 

Thank you for reading. I pray that you felt blessed by this blog post!