I wish I could answer that Mary. The truth is, I’m still trying to figure that out. And if you are honest with yourself, you are probably still trying to answer this question as well.
So how do I figure out what my calling is? What if I take a wrong turn and miss my calling? What if I pursue my dreams but fail to achieve them? These are the questions that we will process through in this series on life calling. Bear in mind that this series is primarily written for Christians. If you are not a Christian I think that you will still benefit from reading the posts, however, I want to warn you that some of the advice I offer might sound a bit strange 
If you have happened upon this site by chance and are really only interested in finding a job that suits you well, Brett McKay at artofmanliness.com has written a great series on vocation. However, if the idea of finding your true purpose in life has piqued your interest then you are in the right place..
Writing on this topic is particularly timely for me as I will be separating from the Air Force this summer and trying to figure out what I will do on the “outside”. As I’m sure you know, trying to figure out your calling can be quite stressful. It is stressful because it is impossible to discover God’s calling when we only seek it half-heartedly. Many of us have heard the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 that says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And it’s true, God does have plans for us, however comma, we will never discover those plans until we comply with the requirements found in the next two verses: “Then when you call upon me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, You will find Me; IF you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
Well that is a huge turnoff! Why do we have to seek God with all of our heart? Things would be so much easier if God would just tell us “hey, I want you to be a doctor” and “you, over there, I want you to be a missionary.” But God doesn’t work that way and so out of either laziness or stubbornness we decide that we are not going to comply with God’s requirement to seek Him wholeheartedly. By our own choosing, we are left all alone to make this huge decision about what we will do in life.
Not surprisingly, we don’t always make the best choices and the consequences can be painful. We want to do something great but after a few wrong turns, a few failures, we hen things don’t pan out the way we would have liked we kind of just give up. We find ourselves in a job that we know probably isn’t the best use of our skills, but it pays the bills. Deep down many of us know we are not living up to our true potential, but hey, “you gave it your best shot.” Right?
Suddenly a few years pass and we find ourselves married with kids and now we think it is definitely too late to find what we were really designed to do. We can’t risk doing something else, not right now anyway; we have people that depend on us. We think “15-20 years I can retire and then maybe I’ll try to do something great.” But do you really think you will finally seek out your purpose when you can be paid to play golf everyday and live near a beach?
Our comfort and safety is the greatest inhibitor to our progress. Seeking our purpose is too risky for us and so we bury our talents in the ground (read the parable of the talents) and settle for uninspiring lives. Francis Chan will help me illustrate how this process is played out..
Don’t we know that if we take a risk for God, He will more than supply our needs? Oh us of little faith. Here is how I paraphrase Matthew 6:31-33 “Don’t worry about how you will earn a living. Your Father in Heaven knows you need to feed your kids. Seek first the kingdom of God and He will take care of the details.”
Something happens when you realize that something greater is offered to us than a continual cycle of work, tv, with a few vacations sprinkled in. You will no longer be satisfied to stay inside your comfort zone, you will be compelled to find your true calling and not give up until you do. You will take the risks necessary to find your true calling and by doing so, you will live out the reason you were put on this earth.
The discovery process, therefore, must start with discontentment. Now, I know what you are thinking. “Didn’t we just spend several weeks learning how to be content?” Yes, but if you’ll remember, contentment only means that you understand the fruitlessness of pursuing something that only has value in this world. Oddly enough with true contentment, there is a peace and satisfaction that is coupled with a kind of spiritual discontentment which a yearning to see God use you in mighty ways. Contentment frees you to dream God’s dreams and discontentment prods you on to act on those dreams. You will only seek God with your whole heart when you are discontent with the things of this world.
Remember, where there is no risk, there is no faith and “without faith you cannot please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
Ready to take a step of faith?
