We were all created to know and fulfill the call and purpose of God on our life.
“He has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
God has put genius in you. He sees genius in you and wants you to see it in yourself. Part of that genius is the calling and purpose He has for you.
God formed and framed you for a purpose
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
— Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)
“It pleased God in his kindness to choose me and call me even before I was born! What undeserved mercy!"
— Galatians 1:15 (NLT)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
— Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
This is a call and purpose available in Christ Jesus.
It’s not just for special people it's for everyone. If you have a pulse you have a purpose!
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God choose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
— I Corinthians 1:27 (NIV)
It is not something that gets canceled because of our failures and sins
“For the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable.”
— Romans 11:29 (NIV)
Don’t waste your time on your regrets but on how God wants to reroute your life back on track for His purpose.
“By calling me into his service, Jesus has judged me trustworthy, even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however has been shown me, because while I lacked faith, I acted in ignorance.”
— I Timothy 1:12-13 (NJB)
Some important observations about your calling.
Your calling is different than your career.
Your calling is how God has wired and equipped you to be His instrument through which He can show His love, mercy, and power to bless and change the lives of others. Your career is what you do your calling is how you make a difference.
Examples of the difference between calling and career:
A career is something you can retire from a calling isn’t finished til you die.
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
— Acts 13:36 (NIV)
A career is how you make a living a calling is how you make a life.
Often the focus of a person with a career is success whereas the focus of a person with a calling is significance.
As you discover and walk in your calling you find God’s genius in so many ways.
Ways we find God’s genius when we find God’s calling:
We find that He has a plan to use even the most painful parts of our life for a positive purpose.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 (NIV)
We discover the will and purpose of God is not burdensome and hard it is something that He has put in us, that ignites our joy and passion.
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
— Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
— Psalms 37:4 (NIV)
As you discover your calling, you find your place on God’s team; the church family. As you find and use your gift you will find your place. You can’t find your calling apart from connection.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
— I Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)
As you discover and move in your calling you discover God’s provision and anointing to do more, be more, and have more than you imagined.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
“Aim at Heaven and you will get earth thrown in,’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” — C.S.Lewis
All of the anointings we read about in the Bible that changed the world are available now to those who are ready to answer the call. When you find God’s purpose you find God’s power.
Key ways to discover and step into your calling and purpose.
Decide you will focus your life on fulfilling a purpose not on achieving a lifestyle.
“What good will be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
— Luke 2:49 (NKJV)
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
— Acts 20:24 (NIV)
Seek to discover and understand your purpose and calling for each season of your life.
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given to do. Then sink yourself into it. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
— Galatians 6:4 (MSG)
Don’t let the enemy steal, suppress or distract you from your purpose and calling.
“Do not neglect your gift which was given you through the prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”
— I Timothy 4:14 (NIV)
Choose to live your life as a steward and not an owner of the gifts that God has given you.
Recognize that all of our gifts are God’s to use in the way he wants to use them, with the people he wants to use them for, in the way he wants them to be used.
“For what makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”
– I Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together.”
— Matthew 25:23 (NLT)