Every person has a calling, big or small, there is a purpose for us all. But what is a calling? Before learning how to find yours, we must define it. A calling (or purpose) is defined as a strong urge toward a particular way of life or career. I believe when God created us, he created us for a purpose. We all fit in to this life together like a giant puzzle with the end goal being a place in heaven. There is never an exact age to have your calling figured out, God will show us when the time is right.
Some people are born with a deep desire and know their purpose for a young age, others have a harder time finding their way. If you are one of those who has tried numerous jobs, countless hobbies and none of them ignited that fire within you, I hope you find some answers after using our checklist. Before finding your calling in life you must dig deep into who you are. After you know your true self, take it to God. He will give you the answers you need when the time is right, then make a plan and execute it!
Discover Who You Are
Some of you may have rolled your eyes as soon as you saw that, but bear with me. I believe God created each person with specific personalities and characteristics to benefit them when pursuing their purpose. For a long time, I have felt that I knew who I was, but not on a deeper level. On a podcast I have listened to for awhile, they always bring up their Enneagram types.
At first I was like “oh boy…. another personality quiz top that pretends to ‘discover your true self’ here we go…” with a few eye rolls myself. But one day I decided to heck with it, I am going to see what this test is all about… This test took maybe 10 minutes so I was sure there was zero accuracy with it, but after reading my results I truly have never felt more understood.
Once I read through each step of my results I researched it more. What career is best? How do I handle certain situations? Why do I react how I do? Every single answer was so clear and almost felt like it hit me in the face! I am a Enneagram type 4, which simply means I’m an individualist who thrives on creativity and always feels so misunderstood (both are facts I have always known).
Once I researched, I started shifting things like my daily life and my mindset with the guidance of my type. It felt like my whole world shifted. I’m not saying it happened overnight, but I started to notice my mood changing, my goals in life and my day-to-day life improved. This also helped me narrow down where I want my life to go. If you haven’t taken the quiz and would like to, here is the one I used from Truity.
Take it to God
Once you’ve discovered who you are, your strengths and weaknesses; take it to God. Ask God how he wants you to use that in service to him. Some people may have life changing callings like joining ministry or doing missions, others may be smaller like coaching your kids’ sports teams or switching to a new job.
The beautiful part about all of our callings is we will never know the impact God has planned for us to make until later on down the road, if ever. Starting a ministry will give you the chance to touch so many lives, but so can coaching! Imagine having that one kid who needs a positive role model in their lives. One good person can change their lives forever. God puts a fire in all of us, so that we can help change the world and sometimes that means changing a single life.
God wants us all to live to our fullest potential and the only way to do that is including God in every step of our journey. Once we have found ourselves, flaws and all, we need to take that to the Lord and ask him how to use them. He has a grand plan for us, and we need to pray constantly to make sure our plans align with his.
Create A Plan
Once you feel like you understand where your path is headed, make a plan. Write down your main goal, then the steps to get you there. Every single day is one step closer to achieving your dreams and each dream has a beautiful journey. How are you going to serve God on your path to heaven?
For me, I have always felt a need to help others, make a difference and change at least one life. Through prayer, diving into the Bible and listening to my favorite podcast (Proverbs 31 Ministries) I discovered my passion in life was to bring people together. For those who know me, they will ALL say I love to talk… to anyone. I love meeting new people and sharing my story while learning other people’s backgrounds.
It took 29 years, a million failures, lots of laughter and plenty of heartaches for me to find the path God has planned for me. The most beautiful part, we all find our purpose in different stages of life. Some are born with a certain knack; others find it during their thirties while raising a family and some live a beautiful life and discover their calling after retirement. God shows us all our calling right when he needs us to use it.
I pray that you discover yourself, take your concerns to the Lord and make the grandest of plans to start your journey at whatever stage of life you are in. God has a wonderful plan for us all, how will you react to your calling?
