Discerning God’s Calling
God’s calling on our lives is more important than our external wishes and rewards. We should focus on maintaining our calling, despite any circumstances or barriers that get in the way. Sometimes we can see a distraction that drives us off course, even if it was not meant to. It can be a good thing, like a relationship or a job, that puts us just enough in the wrong direction. We can have a specific calling and have something good direct us elsewhere. And while sometimes this can be exactly what we need, it can also be potentially wrong. But how do we know the difference? To answer that question we must first answer the question of our calling.
Our calling is the place and mission in life that God has given us. While I do believe there is some variance in the way that is expressed, I believe that calling does boil down to a few simple things, reinforced by the truth in the Bible. First, God has given you a calling as a Son or Daughter of God, to glorify him and love others. This is our primary place of calling. Second, God has called us exactly where we are. We are called to live out our best in our current circumstances, and unless change is required, we should continue doing our best in those circumstances. That is your calling.
But what happens when you cannot see what is next? How do you determine your calling when you need to change circumstances? While it may be simple, I think these three questions help us all discern calling in our lives:
Does it line up with scripture? Consider if this decision or situation falls in line with the truth of God’s Word. Study, pray, and search the scriptures. If it doesn’t look like it aligns, it is probably not the correct path. Does it line up with the righteous desires of my heart? Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse reminds us that God wants to give us our inner desires, so long as those desires come out of a right relationship with him. When we have dreams and longings that are righteous and noble, God wants to give those to us. It is not a burden, but a gift. Test yourself to see if your desire is a righteous desire flowing from your relationship with God.
Does it make me love God more or less? Sometimes there might be a gray area when you are trying to figure out how to interpret scripture, because some things, like dating, is not mentioned in the Bible. And it might be hard to determine the desires of your heart. But this last question helps us all because if we are honest, it gives us the answer we need. Does this person I like, place I want to go, movie I want to watch, job I want to take, or anything else make me love God more? If it doesn’t, it probably isn’t the right decision right now. But if it helps you love God more, you could be overthinking it and you need to start it now.
Follow God’s calling for your life, and you will live a life in unison with God. We’re all imperfect and make decisions we wish we could rewrite later. But if we trust God with our lives, and lean into his love and grace, we will find that a righteous life with him is the best calling possible.
