Learning how to discover your calling in God is a very wonderful thing, albeit tricky for some. Many of us actually live wrong lives, pursue wrong pursuits, and work hard for something we weren’t meant to work on. Why? It’s because we actually don’t know what we should be doing.
Contrary to how many people present it to be, God’s calling in our lives isn’t that hard to find. Honestly this was a challenge for me myself, but I realised that God doesn’t enjoy leading His people nowhere. He exactly delights in seeing us live the life that He designed for us (see Ephesians 2:10).
And so, I believe that you can discover your calling in God pretty easy – if you know where not to look for it.
Where Not to Look for Your Calling
If you want to discover your calling in life, you’ll want to know first and foremost where not to look for it. Oftentimes a Christian lives out another person’s calling, or try to become someone else who God didn’t want them to become. Christians also often do something they’re not supposed to do because they didn’t know it wasn’t theirs to do.
To help you discover your calling in God, here are three tips.
1. Don’t Look for Your Calling in People
First of all, don’t look at your pastor and think that he knows your calling. He doesn’t – God does. Many of us make the mistake of looking up to our pastors or church leaders and then think to ourselves, “I’m called to be a pastor/church leader.” Don’t look for your calling in people.
Instead, look for it in God. Seek Him. Read His Word, and He will tell you what to do. (see Psalm 37:23)
2. Don’t Look for It Inside Yourself
Many of us make the mistake of “looking inside our heart.” Nope, it’s not there. The Word of God says the heart is deceptive above all, so why should we let it dictate our course in life?
Samson followed his heart and ended up with Delilah. Jonah followed his heart and ran away from God (thankfully he was brought back). Judas followed his heart and betrayed Jesus. Don’t let your heart lead you.
Instead, let God’s Word and His Spirit direct you. Trust not in your own understanding. (see Psalm 3:5-6)
3. Don’t Look for It in the World
If you want to know what God wants you to do with your life, don’t go looking for it in a book in the New Age section. Don’t even go online and ask the friendly neighbourhood fortune teller or horoscope about it. Just don’t.
God is God. He’s the One who made you, the One who knows why you were even made in the first place. God’s wisdom isn’t worldly, neither is it like human wisdom. His ways and knowledge are way above ours.
Instead, seek God’s calling for you in His Word and through spending quality time with Him in the secret place. God wants to make Himself known to you; Why look for His will apart from Him? (see Psalm 73:24-26)
As a Bonus
Friend, in case you’re still confused about your call, let me tell you what God’s people are called to be: like His Son, Jesus Christ. Every child of God is called to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that Christ would be the Firstborn among many (see Romans 8:29).
In other words, our greatest calling in life is to be God’s children, and He our Father (see 2 Corinthians 6:18). Pursue that.
