1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Nothing is more precious than God's calling on your life!
We should all get down on our knees and thank Him for it!
Think about it – the God of heaven wants to transact eternal blessings through your life! 2 Samuel 6:21 - "God appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this." David is giving the right response for being chosen, and so should we. When we’re serving in our church, in our home, or on the other side of the world, we need to humbly and thankfully remember that God picked us!
The Gift of Purpose: Living with a sense of calling gives us the priceless gift of purpose. We live in a purposeless age, which I believe is a huge contributor to depression and anxiety.
Vision: Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Before he went to heaven, every time I saw my dad, he would ask me - what’s your vision for the future? He knew I would live aimlessly and lost without it. I am, therefore, constantly looking ahead to how God can use me.
How do you find the uniqueness of your calling? Find something you love and are good at. Figure out how it can be used for God's glory. Get some good Godly input. Create a life mission statement. For example, my statement is – “To inspire ALL people to become passionate worshipers of the most-high God”.
Decide on a life Bible verse. I know it’s hard to have just one, and you can hold several close to your heart, but I do think it helps to narrow it down. Mine is – Psalms 40:3 - "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him."
One year to live: Ask yourself - what would I do if I only had one year to live? Allow yourself to dream and pray about it.
God has things for you to do! God has not only called pastors or public speakers to serve Him. There are a million different ways to step into the works He has prepared for us.
Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God is in the business of taking ordinary people like you and me and doing extraordinary things!
But how? Just start serving - find a need and fill it. Try new things – There is no such thing as failure. The only way to fail is to do nothing. Spend time with God - The way you will best discover the uniqueness of who you are is by spending consistent time with God and asking Him.
Have the courage to be yourself. The great men and women of God throughout history discovered who God is and was in them uniquely and stepped out in faith. But do this with counsel from wise people who love you and want you to succeed.
Don’t ever stop growing! When you discover your strengths, continue to sharpen them for the rest of your life. Our educational system exists to help people be well-rounded, but as you get older, you need to let go of some things and work on your strengths. You will find that it is a very life-giving way to live.
Here are some “uniqueness” ideas –
If you’re a mechanic – do car repairs for single moms at your church.
If you’re a good cook – invite some of the less popular people into your home and prepare a meal for them.
If you’re a singer – create an acapella YouTube channel and sing hymn arrangements.
If you’re an athlete – give a bold witness for the Lord when you are interviewed.
Find a role model – Bach They can be from the past or the present. Study their lives and copy the parts of them that you want to grow in. Protect it. John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Be reminded that there is an enemy that doesn’t want you thriving in your God-given calling! There will be many times when you are stepping out in your gifts and will hear his discouraging voice. Keep going forward! Contend to believe that God is at work through your life regardless of what you might be seeing or not seeing!
Have a sense of urgency for how short and precious life is. Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” What do I need to change? Ask yourself - what do I need to change about my life to live out my calling?
You might not have a lot of time to work on your skills right now, but you can be making decisions now that will make it more possible later.
We only have power over what we do NOW, not the past or the future.
But what you do TODAY matters greatly, even if it’s just one small little, tiny step forward.
It’s not too late, no matter who you are or what you’ve done!
Lastly - Take purposeful time to celebrate your Kingdom wins and accomplishments. And GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY!
