Your Work IS a Calling

Our daily work can be a calling -- God’s assignment to serve others…which is how the Bible teaches us to view work.[1]

How deeply do you believe that the Lord God—the Creator of the universe--made you and gave you a unique combination of gifts and talents and personality and passion to fulfill a unique role in this world?  God has a huge variety of places and purposes—one of them is custom-built for you.  To find that “fit” takes prayer, listening, exploration, engagement, affirmation of others, and discernment.

We know from Scripture that each of us is created uniquely and specially by God:

In Genesis 1:27, we read: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” You and I are a reflection of who God is—we are made in His image!  Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that we are God’s masterpiece: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Psalm 139:13-16 says: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

These words from Genesis, Ephesians, and the Psalmist (and, in fact, the whole of Psalm 139) speak to God’s intentionality in creating each and every one of us. We are wonderful in His eyes. And, it’s clear that He put together our “inmost being”—our souls, our personalities, our ways of interacting with the world around us.

Understanding your “place”, your “calling” also involves understanding yourself, your unique wiring. Are you more introverted or extroverted? Bold or gentle? Oriented more toward accomplishing tasks or being with people? More of a planner or willingly spontaneous? A goal-setter or more go-with-the-flow? What do you contribute to a team?

As you become more self-aware, you naturally also gain awareness of others—with what other personalities do you resonate the most? Why are others less comfortable for you? How might knowing this information be helpful in your vocation?

God also places desires in your heart—ones that direct us to make commitments to specific people and places and things. He scatters His passion/s among His people—that His work might be accomplished.

Reflect:

·       What have you done that has brought you personal satisfaction? OR what do you miss doing?

·       Think of several affirming life experiences—is there a theme?

·       Is there a group of people/issue/role you care most about?

  Can you identify, or do you know, one or more of your passions?

·       Complete Sample Checklist of Passions—using this list might help clarify things for you.

The Lord is the One who calls…AND…He equips us to do that which He asks of us:

Hebrews 13:20-21  Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

He gives every believer at least one spiritual gift…to be used for others: 

The Message says: “God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits” (1 Corinthians 12:4ff).

God’s call is upon the whole of your life—not separated into “sacred” and “secular” realms.  The whole of your life is ministry:  at work, play, church, worship, with neighbors, friends, etc.

In the Christian view, the way to find your calling is to look at the way you were created.  Your gifts have not emerged by accident, but because the Creator gave them to you.  It’s liberating to accept that God is fully aware of where you are at any moment and that by serving the work you’ve been given you are serving him.[2]

Next steps:

·       Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment along the journey:

James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

·       Commit to the process of self-discovery/self-awareness and God-discovery/God-awareness.

·       Study Scripture—preferably with others.

·       Journal/reflect on what is stirring, what is being revealed to you, what you are learning.

·       Take a spiritual gifts assessment.

·       Complete the Sample Checklist of Passions

·       Ask yourself: What talents/experience do you want to use more? What contribution/difference do you want to make?

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been EquipConnectServe Director at her 1,200 member church since 1999.  Contact Shirley.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.

[1] From Every Good Endeavor

[i] From Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller