“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10
I call them Ah Ha Moments – like a light bulb appearing over a cartoon head on TV – all of a sudden that moment of realization hits you – that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when I was sitting in the 5th row of seats at church. We were a few minutes early and made it in time for the on-screen announcements. To my surprise Dave Ramsey appeared on the jumbo screen. Everything in life paused for a moment and my face lit up like a candle! I caught myself instantly being filled with an overwhelming sense of longing to Dave’s energy and passion for what he does. I’ve always liked Dave Ramsey – his personality, his passion, his energy, his drive, his overall message, his love for the Lord – all of it. He even reminds me of my dad and I catch myself calling him “Uncle Dave” – even though I don’t have any relation to him at all (deep down I really wish I did though).
Dan says in his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love, that everyone has a vocation or a calling and you need to take notice of Ah Ha Moments in your life – this may give you a strong indication of your calling. Those moments of deep longing, or when you are doing something and realize in that moment that you are doing exactly what you were born to do. A calling is not something reserved just for pastors, priests and monks. God places a calling inside each one of us with special gifts and talents reserved just for us as individuals. We fulfill our calling simply by being exactly what God created us to be and by being excellent at it.
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? I’ve struggled with this idea for such a long time – trying to figure out my true calling in life and never really understanding what it is. Half the time I always felt like people are “called” into ministry – but rarely do you hear someone say, I’m called to be a mom or an IT professional. Seems like you can only be “called” when it has to do with devoting your life to full-time ministry, but that’s flawed thinking – 100% flawed. Think about it – God created everything and everyone and each has a unique purpose – God created trees to be trees and by that tree being a tree it gives glory to God. The same is true for us – God created each of us unique and by being ourselves and doing to the best of our ability exactly what God intended for us to do, we will find ultimate fulfillment. Whoa! That was profound – even for me!
So, how in the world do we figure out our calling? According to Dan it starts with understanding the difference between your vocation, your career, and your job. I’d have to say I used the words vocation and career interchangeably – they seemed like the same thing, where in fact, they are not, and this understanding has again lifted a burden off me. Your vocation is the big picture of your life – the overall direction and purpose, the thing you do in life that gives you meaning and leaves a legacy for generations to come.
The Dictionary defines Vocation as:
- a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.
- a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.
- a divine call to God’s service or to the Christian life.
- a function or station in life to which one is called by God.
I define vocation as the overall direction of your life, your calling – that unique path for your life that only God could put you on – that “thing” that you were put on this earth to do.
Your career is an entirely different thing – it’s a line of work that you do for a certain amount of time and you can have many different careers in your lifetime.
The Dictionary defines Career as:
- an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework.
- a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.
- success in a profession, occupation, etc.
- a course, especially a swift one.
My favorite definition is #2 – a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking. “Through a phase of life” – this perfectly explains a career to me. A phase of life – think on that.
When I figure out my vocation and the overall big picture of what I want to do with my life, then there will be many careers that I may choose to do that still fulfill my overall vocation, especially if I decide that the career path I choose when I was 18 is no longer the career I want today. Take for example the vocation of “helping people” – that can translate into many different careers such as being a teacher, doctor, pastor, writer, entertainer, etc. And that also translates into many different jobs within a chosen career path. If you started out helping people by being a special education teacher in an elementary and then decided that teaching kids was not your thing at all, then you could change your career path by going on to teach college students instead or start a ministry where you are helping homeless people. All of these careers still fall within the vocation of “helping people.”
I hope I haven’t lost you yet! All of this is a like gold to me! I feel like I’m learning about myself and living backwards – oh to go back to my younger years and do all of this in the correct order! Oh well, I’m sure if I could go back in time, none of this would seem so profound. Right?! I’m hoping my journey can somehow offer hope to someone else in my shoes who is struggling with their calling as well.
Let’s also define a Job – the Dictionary defines Job as:
- a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price.
- a post of employment; full-time or part-time position.
- anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility.
A job is a job. It can be big or small. It can be fun, or awful. It can be the best choice you ever made or the worst. It’s all up to you! And the best part, it’s just a job – so if you hate it, change it. If you love it, turn it into your career and if it’s fulfilling to you, then most likely it’s right in line with your vocation and you can truly say it’s your calling in life! I think most people live their entire lives never finding their true vocation or calling – not because they haven’t tried, but because they let life and circumstances get in the way. There were bills to pay and kids to take care of and they took the first job they could make money doing so that their kids were taken care of. Next thing they know, it’s 20 years down the road and they are wondering what happened to their life. Maybe, it never occurred to them to look at their life’s purpose and seek to understand what is God’s best for them. Please Lord, don’t ever let that be me! I don’t want to be scared to dream, to wonder, to take a leap!
Dan says, “Jobs will come and go, but they should never derail you from the fulfillment of your calling.”
I think I’ve made it too hard for me to see my calling. It’s probably right in front of me and has been all this time. I must be making it complicated – as if my calling is not enough – like it must be more, or harder, or it’s not worthy of being the calling of my life. Funny, when I consider who placed that calling on my life – who is the Master and Creator of ALL that I am?
“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” – Psalm 139:16
Lord, help me see it – help me see my calling, my vocation, the overall direction of what you want me to be and do with my life. Make it clear to me and give me a sense of Peace when it’s resonated in my heart.
I’m still working on this one you guys…. I’m thinking and praying about it and will be back with my thoughts soon.
