What It Took To Find My Calling

Before I ever stood behind a pulpit, wrote a book, filmed a video, or led a team, I struggled. Sometimes, frustrated, I’d plead with God: “What am I here for? What’s my purpose? What’s your plan for me? What are you calling me to do with this life you’ve given me?”

I kept waiting for one clear sign that would settle these questions for good. But it never worked out that way. My calling didn’t come in one epiphany or through a vision for the future I had as a child. I actually had to work at it.

Sure, there may have been inklings or touchpoints in life that I can see now, looking back. But the truth is, God’s calling on my life was unveiled over a season of personal, prayerful reflection, the kind I’ve been able to pass on to others.

If you’ve been trying to find your calling, or maybe you’re mid-life and sensing a switch in direction, don’t be stressed if you haven’t figured it out yet.

Why It Took Me So Long to Find My Calling

Using my life as an example, when I look back, I see the path God had me on and why I needed a certain knowledge base and skills to fulfill His call. Every new passion or area of study, every job or volunteer opportunity, brought me closer to who He needed me to be, today.

I couldn’t see the thread that was being connected until I was well into my career. It showed up as a pattern once I was far enough down the road to map it out. This will end up being your situation as well, once you start the discovery process.

What Actually Helped Me Find My Calling

Three things helped more than anything else:

1. Scriptural understanding of my spiritual gifts. There were a few passages, but the one that was the most useful is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. He lays out God’s distribution of gifts across the body and the purpose behind it. (Romans 12:6-8) Then I discovered my gifts.

2. Connecting my natural and learned abilities. I believed that God had gifted me spiritually. He also had created me and my natural wiring. Then His sovereign hand had guided me through experience and education. I knew there must be useful connection points.

3. Crafting my personal mission. The previous two steps gave me valuable information on what I should be pursuing. Perhaps better stated as the pursuits that would fulfill me while being the most helpful. From there, I started creating an actual mission statement for my life.

I wrote this statement in my own verbiage like I speak. Then I could easily memorize it, and read it back to myself. Over time, it became an anchor to keep me focused or to get me back on track in times where I might be drifting.

A Short Guide If You Want to Try It Yourself

Fast-forward a couple of decades, and I’ve helped others with this process enough times that I figured out a system. This past year, I designed a downloadable workflow called Find Your Personal Mission.

This comprehensive resource is grounded in Scripture, created for anyone striving to discover the greater purpose God is calling them to. Here’s a snapshot of what’s inside:

• Scripture on spiritual gifts, unpacked in plain language.
• Reflection questions with ruled lines to write your answers.
• A fill-in-the-blank personal mission statement.
• Built for solo use, start to finish in one sitting.

You can grab your copy on the Lead Biblically store for $4.99. Start working through it today or set aside for a quiet time this weekend.