The Beauty of Your Calling
Or perhaps, it's something more than all of that. Is it possible that God is stirring something deep within the hearts of His women? I'm just asking… If you are reading what women are writing about, listening to what they are saying, and watching them, well it seems to me they are on the move, in a different way. It's an exciting time to be alive. God has created us and He is calling us for such a time as this. I love what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus:
I pray that the eyes of your hearts would be enlightened that you would know the hope to which God has called you.
Fewer things in life are as worthwhile as the pursuit and hope of God's high calling. Think about it for a moment. Do you know what God's high calling is for your life? In our busy and hectic lives it's easy to miss it. How do we know what God is calling us to? There certainly are a lot of good things we can be doing with our time, yet the bigger question may be "Are we doing what God is calling us to?"
What is a calling anyway?
We have so many uses for the word calling today. Any conversation about calling perks up ears. People are interested in discovering and living out their calling. But what exactly is a calling? Os Guinness defines it this way, "Calling is the truth that God calls us to Himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to His summons and service." Our calling is the knowledge that God first calls us to Himself; it is our best understanding of whom He has created us to be; and what He desires us to do. Your calling is like the breath of God on your heart. It's the very thing that if you are listening well, inspires, fuels, and gives your life meaning. Your calling is how you make an everlasting difference and bring glory to God.
How do we find our calling?
There is no formula for discovering God's calling for your life. We could never fit God's ways into a box. Discovering our calling is a dynamic and personal journey with God. If you haven't already started here are some ways to get going on this exciting adventure:
Live an Examined Life – This means taking time out to find out how God has created you and who He has created you to become. Be willing to really look at yourself: where you have come from, where you are at now, and where you are going. This also entails understanding who you are not. Living an examined life means taking time to reflect, pray, and discover where God is leading you.
Clarify Your Giftedness & Passion – Get to know how God has uniquely created you. There are fewer things in life that bring more joy and a feeling of truly being alive than pursuing a calling that matches your giftedness and passion. Understand what your unique abilities, strengths, spiritual gifts, and life experiences are all about. How can you use all of your giftedness to have influence and make an impact for the Kingdom of God? Use the Bible or whatever book, assessment tool, sermon, or friend that helps you to become all God has created you to become. God made only one you, dare to make a vibrant contribution in this world.
Live a Good Story – Be intentional about a God, who first loved you and pursued you. Spend quality time with God and practice His presence throughout your day. When you are living out of a relationship with God He will reveal your calling. Be courageous and dare to go where He leads you. Be willing to tell people your story of how God changed your life. You were created to be the hands and heart of the living God. Use everything He has given you to bring goodness and hope to a hurting and broken world and to bring glory to the King of Kings. Live a story worth being told.
I love the short story once told by Mark Twain about the man who died and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. Knowing that St. Peter was very wise, the man asked a question that he had wondered about his entire life.
He said, "Saint Peter, I have been interested in military history for many years. Who was the greatest general of all time?"
Saint Peter quickly responded, "Oh that's a simple question. It's that man right over there."
"You must be mistaken," responded the man, now very perplexed. "I knew that man on earth, and he was just a common laborer."
"That's right, my friend," assured Saint Peter. "He would have been the greatest general of all time, if he had been a general."
I think this story captures a deep sentiment that most of us have. We want our lives to count, to be meaningful. I don't want to miss out on the high calling of God. I want to live my life to the fullest, to be fully alive and open to all that He is calling me to.
Do you know God's high calling for your life? Does knowing your calling matter? How does understanding your calling impact your community, sphere of influence, or workplace?
angela bisignano
Angela Bisignano has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and an M.S. in Ministry. Angela has been working with women for over fifteen years: counseling, mentoring, and teaching. She works in private practice in Southern California. Angela's first book, Beautifully Gifted: Equipping Today's Women for the High Calling of God is being released in December of 2010. Currently, she and her husband Gerard are raising their two sons Jonathan and David. Some of her favorite things are the sound of boys laughing, crashing waves, fresh lavender, deep conversation, long walks in the Sierras, traveling, and a dog named Bella.
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Email: DrAngelaB@me.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/angelabisignano
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