I think that many people feel a sense of envy when they hear someone talk of their calling. A missionary will speak of how God called them to their area of service. Or a person will speak of a new project or venture, and they’ll say, “I’ve really found my calling.” Ever hear that and think, “I just have a job; I guess I missed out”? The Bible’s teaching about God’s calling is different than the way we often speak about it.

1. You’ve probably already found your calling

Christians in the church at Corinth were struggling with their calling. They assumed that since everything had changed for them internally when they put their faith in Jesus, everything should change for them externally as well. Some of the non-Jews read about circumcision and were thinking of becoming circumcised. And some of the Jews realized that circumcision was no longer necessary in the new covenant and were thinking about getting uncircumcised. Paul gives them some surprising advice. In 1 Corinthians 7:17, he says, “let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” He clarifies in the next verse that he doesn’t want them to either get circumcised or uncircumcised, but what’s surprising is that he describes this condition as part of their “assignment” or “calling.” The idea is that circumcision and the outward Jewishness of the Jewish Christians were a part of how God had prepared them for the people He wanted them to impact. Similarly, the non-Jewishness of the non-Jewish Christians would enable them to reach non-Jews in a way that their Jewish brothers and sisters couldn’t. The same is true of most of the external things in your life. Your education, experience, hobbies, and background have all prepared you to be able to uniquely relate to and minister to a specific group of people. Recognizing that is a part of discovering your calling.

2. You don’t find your calling by copying someone else’s

When Jesus healed the possessed man whom He encountered among the tombs in the Gerasenes, he was overcome with the joy of being set free. As Jesus was forced out of the region, it was natural that the man wanted to follow. In fact, it says that he “begged him that he might be with him” (Mark 5:18). Jesus turned him down. In the following verse, He said, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). You would think that leaving everything to follow Jesus was the whole point of His mission. Often, however, following Jesus means going to the people you knew before you met Jesus and acting as Jesus would to them. In this case, Jesus had been barred from the Decapolis region but the man He healed had access, connections, and a story. The same is true of you. A big part of calling is looking for opportunities to speak and serve in the place where you are.

3. Your calling is rooted in God’s design

While you’re probably already in the place of God’s calling, you’ll be more effective there and be able to assess whether He’s moving you somewhere else by paying attention to God’s design in your life. Ephesians 2:10 says, “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” It’s saying that God created us with specific assignments in mind that He was preparing us to complete. Those things that you’re good at aren’t a coincidence. Those things you’ve learned and the experiences you’ve gone through are all part of how God equips you for your calling. On top of that, He gives spiritual gifts that uniquely enable us to minister. As we serve, it becomes more and more clear how those gifts can most effectively combine with the other ways that He has designed and prepared us to make a difference in this world.

May God lead you to greater effectiveness in the role that God has called you to!

In awe of Him,

Paul