Unlocking Purpose: Why You Need To Take Your Calling More Seriously
And How to Start...
Ok, we’re going to hit the ground running… And fast.
Knowing and pursuing your calling greatly impacts your outlook on life.
It opens up your life to new ideas. It gives you something to look forward to. It unlocks your sense of purpose. It makes work feel like joy. It fosters an appreciation for time. It motivates you to break free from old habits.
And by embracing it, we honor God and serve His kingdom in a way that resonates with our souls.
Unfortunately, many people don’t take pursuing their calling seriously.
The primary reason?
There will be enough time to pursue my calling later.
We fall into the trap of believing we have plenty of time to figure out our calling and act on it later. We delay the pursuit of our purpose, thinking that we can address it once we've achieved certain milestones or when life "settles down." Unfortunately, time slips away, and we miss out on the fulfillment that comes from sharing our gift with the world sooner.
Here are a few others if that one didn’t resonate:
Callings are for the super-religious - denying that God has prepared work for each of us to walk in.
Our gifting is not valuable - but God has knit each one of us together and has placed desires on our hearts to do.
Comfort, ease, and entertainment lull us into complacency, distracting us from God's deeper purpose and calling on our lives.
Figuring out our calling is too hard and we simply don’t bother.
But here's the good news: you can overcome these obstacles and start walking in your calling today! Here's how step by step:
Step 1: Finding time.
It has been said, “I need to make time”.
None of us “makes” time.
We either find time or carve out time, but we don’t make time.
This might look like getting up 30 minutes early, setting aside one Saturday a month, or putting the phone aside after dinner. In any case, finding and pursuing your calling takes time.
I suggest finding 30 minutes, 4 or 5 days a week, to start digging into your interests, skills, and spiritual gifts - and to pray for God’s leading.
Step 2 will help you figure out some areas to look into.
Commit your ways and your time to the Lord and he will make your paths straight.
Step 2: Uncovering your calling
Begin with prayer.
Over the next few days, start your day with this, “God make me more aware of how you designed me, how your Spirit has gifted me, and the godly desires you have placed in my heart. Lead me in wisdom as to how I might use them to serve your kingdom and bring honor to your name”.
Then set aside an hour with a notebook and a pen - with NO distractions - and write at the top of a page for each:
My Strengths
My Interests
My Skills
People Complement Me On
What I Enjoy or Might Enjoy Doing
Then list out ideas under each heading that come to mind. Do not judge or edit them - just write.
To keep your engagement high - fill in 3 to 5 items for each and then go back as you think of more. Feel free to add to it over the next few days.
Stop when you’re tired, hungry, or disinterested.
Set up sometime later to review it. Placing a star next to the ideas that stand out and/or excite you.
Continue to pray for God’s leading.
Step 3: Experimenting with your interests
If you’re not clear on your calling yet - and that is ok - especially if you’re just getting started - you will have to try a few things out that interest you to see what fits.
Because if you keep doing the same things over and over, you will get the same results.
Select a few starred ideas from your lists.
Then do a bit of exploratory research.
How can I try out this idea in the most simple and least expensive way?
What are the tasks or activities, for this idea, that I can try?
Who do I know, or how can I find someone who does the idea I am interested in? Where do they meet online? Is there anyone I am connected with on social media that does this?
For the more techy inclined, here is a prompt for ChatGPT (I think you’ll be impressed 😀): I'm thinking about getting into {your idea}, but I'm not sure if I’ll enjoy it. What are some small tasks or activities I can try to see if it’s something I’d like?
Then get outside of your comfort zone and give it a try. Commit to it.
There are two ways to ride a rollercoaster. Either holding on for dear life or throwing your hands up in the air and screaming at the top of your lungs - one of these is more fun.
Step 4: Valuing your gifts
It is far too easy for us to devalue the gifts God has given us or allow our present circumstances to tell us they are not needed.
It simply isn’t true!
Let me introduce you to Shammah from the Bible (2 Samuel 23:8-39). Likely, you can’t recall whether you’ve ever heard of him., but he was, in fact, one of David’s Mighty Men of Valor - called to be a fighter.
He is recognized for his stunning defense of… wait for it… a lentil field. Peas. Yes. A field of peas.
His calling was to be a fighter for the Lord, but he used his calling to defend a field. Simply because it was what he was called to do at that moment in time.
Are you a gifted encourager but in a hospital bed? Then, encourage your roommate and the people serving you - make their day.
Someone in the world needs exactly what you bring, in the unique way you bring it, and within the confines of your present circumstances, that wouldn’t be impacted the same if your gifts were different.
Step 5: Taking action
To accomplish anything in life you will need to become an action-taker.
There is no better example than the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
Three stewards receive some money. The money is distributed based on their abilities to handle its responsibility. To the one, he receives 5, the next 2, and the last 1.
The first two are commended for being action-takers - doing something with the gift(s) they’ve been given.
The last one is condemned for doing nothing - “Here’s your stuff back” was his response. The master? “You could have at least put it in the bank so I could have received it back with interest.”
If taking action is new to you, start small. Commit to one small thing per day, and then do everything in your power to do it. Like you will lose your home if you don’t.
Become an action-taker.
Step 6: Embracing challenges, hard things, and hits to your pride
As a people, we are easily derailed and disappointed.
We are new at something, but expect it to be amazing.
Then we find out we kinda stink at it - why? Because it’s the first time we've ever tried this.
We avoid doing hard things because we think they should be easy. But it only gets easier by doing them - over and over and over - ask any sports star.
Think of it like a game.
“Hmm, that thing seems hard to do, and I don’t want to really do it.” Then think, “This is exactly the thing I should probably be doing.”
Personally, doing hard things and becoming a keeper of my word have had the greatest impact of change on my life. I am certain there is some psychology behind this - if you know, reply and tell me about it.
Step 7: Review your progress
Finally, Proverbs 4:26 - Ponder the path of your feet.
To continue making progress, you need three things
an understanding of where you are
an understanding of where you are going
and an understanding of the steps to get there
The first two are easier to understand, but how do we know whether the steps we are taking are getting us there?
Let’s say we want to go to the North Pole to visit 🎅 I start walking, and after some time, I ask, “How’s this going?” Am I getting closer or not? If I don’t stop to ask this question, I may not know for a long time.
If I am, then keep doing what I’m doing or, even more accurately set my course. If not, then I need to change direction.
We need to stop and review our progress. This is called a retrospective and it comes in the form of three questions about the steps you are currently taking:
What is going well?
What is not going so well?
What might I do differently?
Then we adjust the plan for our experiment and try it again.
If you are attempting something new, run your retrospective weekly, otherwise, monthly is fine.
By seeking God's guidance, taking small, intentional steps, and surrounding yourself with the right support, you'll crush the obstacles in your way and unlock your purpose - stepping into the full, exciting life God has planned for you!
It’s a journey worth taking!