Week 50 – Discerning: Your Specific Calling

God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life.

Bill Bright

The inventor of the world’s most famous fantasy role playing game, Gary Gygax, came to believe in God. As a reporter explains, The discovery began one day about 25 years ago, fittingly, during a game. A friend of his was doing some role-playing with Gygax as a kind of personality test. He had Gygax describe his journey down an imaginary road. At one point, Gygax described coming to a clear lake, and his buddy said, “There’s a drinking vessel there. What does it look like?” “It’s a beautiful silver chalice,” Gygax replied, “all engraved.” “I didn’t know you were religious,” his friend said. Neither did Gygax, but he warmed to the idea that the universe has been mapped out in advance by some celestial designer. “There’s got to be a creating hand behind everything,” he says. “As Thomas Aquinas said, ‘Out of nothing, nothing comes.’”
The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax, Wired Magazine, David Kushner

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Discerning Your Specific Calling

 

“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

How exciting! In this passage, we see how God had purposes for the prophet Jeremiah – purposes designed before Jeremiah was even born. God, the Master Designer, not only designed us for holiness, but for good works which He made specifically for us, and us for them! The Bible tells us that God designed our hearts: “He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.” (Psalm 33:15)

God created us to walk in our calling and to do His will and works, ones He designed specifically with our name on them: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Paul spoke of His own calling as a minister of the gospel: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” (Romans 1:1) One great man whose influence changed the face of our nation and whose example continues to inspire multitudes from the grave spoke of God’s will for his life, and the promise he saw in it: “I just want to do God’s will.And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

How do we figure out that calling so that we may walk in it? Basically, sound decisions on calling can be discerned through a number of factors.

In major life decisions which all play a part of your calling, it is good that all of these line up with each other.

Discerning One’s Calling and Major Life Choices
God’s Leading Through… Bible References Discussion
The WORD Psalm 119:4; Psalm 119:105 The will of the Lord for your life will never contradict the Word of the Lord. People have gone so far to say that “God has told me to leave my wife and marry my secretary” whereas the Word is very clear about adultery. Such a “leading” is clearly not from the Lord; it contradicts the Word.
PROMPTINGS from the Lord Isaiah 30:21; John 10:27; Acts 2:17; Acts 16:9 God will often speak to our spirit directly. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” (John 10:27) We can listen and the Lord will direct.
COUNSEL Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6 The counsel of wise believers can often help steer our thinking and decisions in beneficial ways. While we rarely entirely relegate our personal choices over to another, the input of others in major life decisions is invaluable.
CIRCUMSTANCES 1 Corinthians 7:17; Acts 17:26 It is helpful, when discerning the will of the Lord and calling of God, to look at our circumstances altogether. What are our giftings? What responsibilities has He already placed on us (such as the care of an elderly parent or children)? Where do our interests naturally lie? Since God created our heart, this element of decision-making, when joined with the others, can prove useful when making decisions.

As we keep an open ear and heart to the Lord, seeking His face, He will guide us into His great calling for each of us! Rest assured He has a calling on your life and over time it will be revealed to you (2 Timothy 1:9).

Last word: God’s Gift of a Life of Victory Nothing compares to living with the Lord.

Nothing. He is our Help, our Shield, our Friend, our Father. He is the one who lifts us up when we fall, and rewards us for doing His work that He Himself has enabled and empowered us to do. There is none like Him!

Time and time again I have seen God rebuild the lives of men and women as they submit to Him and His Word, taking His truth for reality. There is no better Rock on which to build. As we follow the biblical pattern of being devoted to our Lord, the Word and each other, we can be certain that we will mature spiritually and press on in Christ as rock solid disciples of the Lord. Christ’s abundant life is readily available to those who walk in a manner worthy of God. There are no limits to the disciples of Jesus; go in the power of Christ and impact your world with His Word!

Review

  1. Is there a purpose for our lives that is preordained by God?
  2. Name four things we can use to help discern the will of God for our lives.
  3. Is it possible to live a life of victory?
Week 49