What am I called to?
You may have been asked the questions ‘What are your plans when you graduate?’ ‘What kind of person do you want to be?’ a million and one times by people who genuinely care. The stress of having a plan for your future is very common for any student, but especially those of you entering final year. Not only do you have exams, deadlines, friends, church to all keep up with, but you also have to decide which route to take post graduation.
I have just recently finished ‘A Call Less Ordinary: Why Your Purpose Matters’ by Rich Wilson. This is a genuine plug from someone who has asked herself the question of calling over the last year and been at a stump. I won’t lie and say that I have it all figured out but Rich outlines some great questions for you to unpick and work on. Would highly recommend it to a friend. When we think about purpose, we often ask God to give us a purpose. God has already given us all a purpose, it’s just the challenge of finding out WHO God created us to be.
Your calling might not make sense right now and that’s okay. God is always calling us to something, but often we are not aware or we aren’t seeking it. God primarily calls us to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Then after our primary calling, God has set an individual course for us all to take. This could look like a vocation in ministry or in the secular world and both are just as important to God.
My top tips for those of you questioning about your secondary calling:
Truth- What is God saying about the person he created you to be? What truth do we need to awaken our souls to hearing? Are there any lies you’re believing which may stop you from seeing yourself as God created you to be?
Pray- Invite Jesus into your future and let him tell you what he has planned. We are quite good at telling God our plans, so let’s cut the middle man out and ask him. Pray this over your future “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).
Dream- Get creative and ask yourself the questions of What sets my heart on fire? What are my skill sets? What breaks my heart more than anything else? When our hearts are aligned with Gods we can begin to start dreaming beyond ourselves and dreaming with a kingdom perspective.
Community- Invite some trusted individuals to journey this with you. They are likely to see things in yourself that you could so easily have missed. Get them to be praying and seeking the Lord on your behalf. I would not be working for Fusion if people hadn't prayed and sought the Lord on my behalf.
Push doors- Ever heard the classic saying of ‘If you don’t ask, then you don’t get’? Well it’s kind of true isn’t it. We can’t expect to land jobs if we don’t apply? Often our discernment comes from doors either opening wider or closing shut right in front of us.
Get excited- I don’t know the plans the Lord has for you, but I know they are good! God has so much adventure and goodness in store for you and I to explore. It won’t always be easy, but it will be so worth it.
Truth / Pray / Dream / Community / Push doors / Get excited
