You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ~ John 15:16 (ESV)

Last week, I wrote about your calling, the “personal mission statement” God has for you. I shared my calling, which I had to boil down to a seven-word statement for a seminary assignment about ten years ago. My seven words are engineering the church to create kingdom glimpses.
Reading last week’s post, it might seem like I discovered my calling all at once through a single homework assignment. But that’s not what happened! The seminary assignment clarified into a simple statement all the little bits and pieces I glimpsed over several years. My calling began in eighth grade when I started playing saxophone in my church. Through many experiences, opportunities, learning, and relationships, I reached the point of being able to write down my seven words in my early 30s.
So, don’t rush it. God will reveal his calling for you in time. The most important thing to seek isn’t your calling but Jesus. As you press into him, he will show you what’s next at the right time.
Having said that, it seems like it might be easy to oversimplify the concept of calling. It’s just a single seven-word sentence, right? Not exactly. There are several areas of calling. Sometimes, we have multiple callings. Our calling can change over time. And there are some things every follower of Jesus is called to, while others are more specific to you.
To start, let’s think about different aspects of calling. We can be called to a role or vocation, for example, dad, pastor, manager, or teacher. We can be called to a task, like evangelism, fixing cars, or coaching kids’ sports. Sometimes, the task overlaps with the vocation, but sometimes it doesn’t. For instance, not everyone called to teach is also called to a career as a teacher. Some people might be called to a specific place, like a town, country, church, or company.
It might help to ask three questions.
To whom am I called?
To what am I called?
To where am I called?
However, not everyone is called in the same way, and not everyone receives a specific call in all three areas.
My calling is to the vocation of pastor, engineering the church to create kingdom glimpses. I’m called to carry that out primarily through preaching, organizing, and developing leaders. And this is only one aspect of my calling. I have also been called to the roles of husband to Corinne and dad to Asher, Jack, Elliot, Graham, and Mae Cat.
So, the first step in discerning your calling is to look around. Who are the people in your life? What are your circles (home, neighborhood, school, workplace, etc.)? What kind of work do you do (whether paid or unpaid)? Jesus said in the verse above that he chose his disciples and appointed them to bear fruit. It’s no accident that you are where you are. Even if you’re in a difficult situation, Jesus has appointed you to be fruitful in that place, and he is with you!
This week, take time to list the people, places, roles, tasks, and responsibilities you already have. Then, pray through that list, asking God to bring to mind what bearing fruit means for each item on your list.
“Wherever you are, be all there.” - Jim Elliot