Finding our calling isn’t about God giving us direction for the future, it’s about opening our eyes to what God is already doing in our lives and aligning ourselves with it.
The story that’s being written in our lives, is the platform God will likely use for us to share Him with others.
That’s why people who struggle with their marriage, yet work through issues and find deeper intimacy, often go into counseling ministry. Or those who were sexually abused and found healing and freedom in Christ start ministries for abused and hurting people.
You see, our story is where God becomes relevant to our lives.
It’s the narrative of Christ’s work in our hearts. He is no longer just theology. He’s an active Father walking with us and shaping us into people who reflect His presence.
Our story is made of the events that happen in our life which are out of our control. We didn’t plan them, but they happened anyway. It’s those things we often wish weren’t a part of our lives. The experiences that feel too vulnerable to share. God is using them to write a message of His glory for others to hear.
So here’s an exercise
Take some time–doesn’t have to be much–and jot down the experiences which you’ve always wondered why they had to happen. Then ask yourself, “Did I learn anything about God through it?”
For instance, when I was seventeen my family moved from Minnesota to California. I struggled with intense loneliness for the first year after our move. But looking back, I see how during that time I began conversing with God. Even though sometimes it was complaining to Him, my prayer life became more conversational than demanding. That’s something I treasure, now. But I’m not sure it would have happened had I not gone through that experience.
So start writing those things down and you’ll see what God is doing in your life. It won’t necessarily all make sense right away, but as you continue to journey, and document the journey, what God is calling you to will become visible.
To be honest, the reason I’m writing out my story is to see more clearly the ministry God is leading us to. If we aren’t intentional about seeing what God is doing, we’ll miss it altogether.
Find a way to share your story with others
But don’t just stop at documenting your journey. Everyone has a story worth telling and our calling is to find a way to share it with others. Share your struggles, fears, deepest disappointments, and ways you’ve failed. Share your dreams, passions, successes, and greatest fulfillment’s. Tell someone about the things you’re not sure anyone cares about. That’s what I mean by telling our stories.
Sharing our stories with others not only shows us our calling, it helps us grow and live dynamically. Unless we take the risk of being vulnerable with others so that God can flow through us and touch other people’s lives, we will only ever be cesspools of God’s grace.
By talking about what God is doing, He is glorified
When we share our stories with each other, we find a bit of our own journey in what the other has to say. We’re encouraged. Inspired. Motivated to press in harder. And most of all, it glorifies God as we talk about what He is doing in our lives.
So quit trying to find your calling and start looking for God’s fingerprints in your life—and find a way to tell someone else about it. You will see that God opens a path of ministry you never imagined.
