The Questions Around “Calling”
When you don’t understand something, find someone smarter than you and ask them for help. I’ve heard the word “Calling” forever. Even read Os Guiness’ classic book The Call. But I still didn’t get it, at least not in a practical way.
Enter Andy Stanley. I was blessed to hear him speak on the subject of calling and what follows is my ‘net out’ of what I heard him say….
1. The value of a life is always measured in terms of how much of it was given away.
2. Whatever you accumulated is worthless the moment you die. We undermine the value of life by holding on to it.
3. I’ve never met a man who pursued a selfless ‘second half’ of his life who would go back and trade it for golf.
4. We all think “If I’m going to do something, I better do it now.” We’re aware that we’re running out of time.
5. It’s wise to start doing meaningful things while we still have enough time, energy and health to do them.
6. A calling is more meaningful than measurable. What matters most is usually not measurable.
7. Our fear of not mattering much can drive us away from what matters most.
8. Calling is more about burden than background. It’s less about what you know than seeing what needs to be done.
9. Burdens are emotional. What need bothers you? Sit in it. Let it bother you. God may be calling you to carry that burden and to help those people.
10. Calling often begins as partnering rather than pioneering. Find someone who’s working on the problem and wade in with them (but don’t come in with ‘guns blazing’ telling them how to do it better, just help out….and learn).
11. Calling is always going to be more about who than what.
12. A way to test calling is this question “If I don’t do this, will it feel like I’m being disobedient?”
13. When you’re in your calling, you measure success in a whole different way. At the end of the day you say, “Today, I did what You asked me to do.” And that is enough.
14. John the Baptist, when he was pressed about who he was and what he was doing said (in John 3:27), “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.” When God calls us into something, there’s an abiding awareness of who it’s from and who it’s for.
15. My responsibility is to do what I’m called to do regardless of the outcomes.
Recognize…we all want “the next thing”. There seems to be a built-in restlessness in us that’s looking for more. What if that’s the fingerprint of God? He created a universe that continues to grow. Should it surprise us He built into us a drive to reach up and out for meaning and purpose throughout our lives?
Question: What burden has your name on it? What holds you back from moving toward it?
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.