I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ~ Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)
We’ve been reflecting on the concept of calling, the “personal mission statement” God gives to each of his children. I believe God created you for a reason. You’re not just another face in the crowd. God has a purpose for you, a part for you to play. Your calling is part of that plan.
In a recent post, I suggested the way to start discerning your calling is by asking three questions:
To whom am I called?
To what am I called?
To where am I called?
Then, look around. You’re here for a reason. How can you be faithful to the people, responsibilities, and places you have already been sent to? The first step in discerning your calling is learning to seek God’s direction daily, wherever you are.
Next, make a habit of asking two additional questions:
What is God calling me to do?
And, even more importantly, who is God calling me to be?
One of the things I am learning is that who we become is more important than what we accomplish. For someone like me with a lot of drive to achieve something great, that’s a hard truth. But looking at those verses from Ephesians 4 above, it’s hard not to notice that almost everything Paul says about calling is a “who you are” statement, not just a “what you do.”
Go back to your list from the other week (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, see my post, “Discerning Your Calling - Step 1”), and make a second column. In that column, write these words from Ephesians 4:1-3:
Humble
Gentle
Patient
Enduring
Loving
Unifying
Peaceful
Now, sit quietly with both lists and listen for God’s direction. If any words from column 2 seem specifically related to the people, responsibilities, and places in column 1, draw a line to connect them. Reflect on why these words seem to connect. And end by asking God to help you become the person described in Ephesians 4:1-3 in all the contexts you have written down in the first column from last week. If a thought comes to mind with something specific for you to do (like Write a thank you note to your wife), write it down and do it.