CALLING
Just Ask
When was the last time you asked others for their advice/input/thoughts?
This is one of the biggest things we need to do in clarifying the purpose of our life, but it isn’t easy.
Why?
Because seeking increasing levels of counsel and advice requires increasing levels of vulnerability and trust. To be honest, it’s much easier to rely only on ourselves than to put something out there and risk ridicule, judgement, and shame.
But here are a few things I am learning:
1) I need the eyes of others on my life. I know it’s been huge in helping me clarify my calling.
2) It takes courage and intentionality to be vulnerable and ask for input. This is the main reason I walked alone for so many years.
3) I enjoy all kinds of folks, but not everyone can speak into my life. We need to be discerning about who we look to for direction and we need to pursue the right people with the right questions. I trust the thoughts of different people for different reasons. It is often based on their experience and calling. In other words, no one has all the answers so I don’t look to one person for all of them.
Thoughts?
How often do u pursue the thoughts of others?
Who am I?
The question “who am I?” is core to a person’s life. To know who you truly are. To unmask the false-self. And to begin to live as you were created to live is a powerful thing.
So, how do we do that?
Well for starters, we don’t just get an answer to the question. Instead, we get something much richer and, in fact, much better. We get an invitation.
An invitation to go on a discovery expedition. A life long journey of development. And an epic adventure of becoming who we were created to be. The answer to the question who am I? is…
Come with Me and discover, develop, and become.
Have you accepted the invitation?
Stuck?
I have a good friend who has been stuck for years. He is an excellent father. He has a love for God and he genuinely wants to live well.
So why is he stuck? And how is he stuck?
For the past several years, I have heard him complain about not knowing or not fully understanding what God wants him to do with his life. He has passions and he has pursued them…somewhat. But he still feels like he has not gotten the official “Call of God“…so he keeps waiting to make his next move.
And guess what?
He’s going to stay stuck as long as he keeps waiting.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. God does communicate with us about our life and there are many times where we need to patiently wait for guidance. But that’s not what my friend is doing. He is wanting to get the “for sure..forever more” answer on what to do. And that’s not how pursuing your calling works.
See, God doesn’t typically give you and I an answer to the question, “What’s my Calling?”. Instead He makes us this offer, “Follow me and I’ll show you along the Way”.
Thoughts?
Have u felt stuck lately?
This was a recent post to my Pursue Life subscribers. To find out more, go here
Mystery is an Invitation
“One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity…Never lose a holy curiosity” -Albert Einstein
Don’t let anyone fool you. If someone claims to know fully and completely what their calling is, trust me…they don’t.
See the reality is our life and calling is draped in mystery. And God uses that mystery as an invitation to walk more deeply with Him.
Think about it. If God said, “this is who you are, this is why you are here, this is what you are to do, and this is where you are to do it”. We would get our instructions and we would walk away from Him. We would. In fact, I’ve done that.
But thankfully God says, “I love you too much. I really just want to be with you. So I’m not going to give you everything at once. I am going to give you a little more and a little more as we journey together.”
That’s a huge nugget for anyone pursuing their calling. It’s not just about finding clarity about what to do and then doing it. It’s about a journey, a mysterious adventure, and a relationship too.
Thoughts?
How do you handle the mystery in your life?
I’ll give a very simple action plan in next week’s Premium Subscription, which is not the same as this blog. If you want to join that conversation, go here
What was He thinking when He made you?
Years ago I wanted to make a big move professionally. I was very involved with a men’s ministry to the point that I was convinced it was my “calling”. I wanted to “do” more of what I was passionate about. I wanted to see men’s lives change for the better and I was willing to make significant sacrifices to pursue what I believed to be “His Calling”.
Fast forward to today, I have absolutely nothing to do with that ministry. There was no fall out. There was no BIG blow-up.
So, what happen?
Well to be honest, God had to show me some things. I really had no idea what “calling” was about. I thought it was about “doing” ministry type stuff. Thankfully, God saved me from that path and invited me on another. It was as if He said, “That ministry can’t tell you who you are, Jack. Let’s take a walk and let Me show you what I was thinking when I made you”.
I share this because our desire to honor God is a good thing. Most of us want to “do” what is right. But too often we have a flawed understanding of how that works. We make it about the outer life. About doing. But in truth, we “do” what’s right, only after we have “become” what’s right. And when it comes to our calling, it has much more to do with our identity than what we do.
Do you know what He was thinking when He made you?
Maybe it’s time to ask?
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