A Calling

Where to Now? Adulthood does not start until the road diverges. Life moves children along a fixed path from elementary through high school. That path continues directly to at least some college for most Americans. What happens when it ends? Where does one go and what does one do then? One of the best ways to navigate a sea of seemingly unlimited options is having a sense of calling or purpose. The Apostle Paul knew who he was and the life he was called to. In Romans 1:1, we read that Paul saw himself as a slave of Jesus and His envoy tasked with proclaiming the exciting news about the Lordship of Christ. This clarity gave him purpose and served as the driving force in his life. Anyone familiar with Christian doctrine would primarily think of Jesus’ mission as dying to take away the sins of those who put their trust in Him. However, His atoning death did not exhaust His calling. When we examine Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and reckon with the context of the verses from Deuteronomy 6 and 8 that He references in his rebuttals to the Tempter, we discover Jesus saw Himself as reliving His people’s wilderness experience recorded in Exodus. However, where Israel succumbed to temptation, He did not and thereby carried forward their holy calling of representing their Lord faithfully. His faithfulness to this aspect of His calling was so complete that we can learn what our creator is like by studying Jesus. Jesus and Paul had remarkable callings—missions that are both unique in importance and enduring influence. What about us? Few would hope to have so high a calling but would gladly settle for some kind of clear direction from the Lord. Churchgoers have heard countless sermons regarding our calling to live for Christ, but may struggle to translate how that calling should play out within our daily living. The lack of clarity may leave us a bit listless and struggling to find purpose. What can we do if we are not sure of our calling? First, don’t overthink it. Pray and see where your talents and interests converge with a need you sense the Lord wants met. Second, don’t be intimidated by the weightiness of the concept of a calling. Sure, it’s heavy but don’t lose time thinking you have to be completely convinced you have heard from the Lord or wonder if you are ready to embark on the journey. The Christian life is a life of faith in which we move forward based on the information we have at hand rather than having all our questions answered. Third, a calling does not have to include your vocation, but can be something you do outside of it. Some Christians don’t have the luxury of combining the two. Finally, your calling may evolve. Don’t worry about how long the convergence of what you can do and the need you are seeking to meet will last. The chapters of our lives are seldom the same length. It is common to change jobs as well as careers. Jesus’ public ministry lasted three years. Most of His life was spent as a carpenter. I am confident He was just as faithful as a carpenter as He was being the Savior of the world. You can be too in each mile of the journey.