This blog post is a continuation from my last blog post, Clues to Discovering Your God-Given Purpose in Life: Part I. In this blog post, I share about three additional clues that may reveal God’s purpose and calling for your life.
It’s Bigger Than What You May Feel You’re Equipped to Accomplish
Your purpose and calling from God may feel like a stretch. You may wonder if you can accomplish it, if you are equipped with the gifts, talents and resources to achieve it and your purpose may even scare you. Your purpose will likely push you out of your comfort zone and “playing small” will not be an option. In addition, you may have “giants” to face, experience setbacks and may even want, at times, to give up. You will likely be tested, as will your commitment to persevere.
That said, God equips us with tools to help navigate feelings of inadequacy as we step into a calling for which we may feel we are not equipped, among the most powerful of which is prayer. We can be assured that if God calls us to a purpose, He will equip us to carry out that purpose. Prayer is powerful and we can tap into prayer, asking God to exchange our fear for courage, confidence and the ability to persevere. For as the Bible says:
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” ~ Luke 18:27 NIV
“May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever. Amen!”
~ Hebrews 13:21 NLT
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
~ Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
The biblical account of David and Goliath serves as a powerful reminder of what is possible when we align with who we are in Christ rather than our “lesser” version of ourselves. The unassuming shepherd boy would go on to defeat Goliath. As David said to Goliath:
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” ~ 1 Samuel 17:45 NIV
David went on to say:
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
~ 1 Samuel 17-47 NIV
Your Purpose May Be Unveiled After a Challenging Season
Your purpose may be discovered after a difficult experience or season. I can relate to this, as I was called into my purpose on the heels of the most challenging season in my life. These were the most painful days of my life and I could not make sense of why I was going through what I was facing. At the time, I could not even begin to fathom that any good could come from the situation. Yet, through that circumstance, not only was I brought back to Christ but I experienced tremendous growth and transformation in my life. God was not the cause of the painful season but used that season for my good, unveiling the calling upon my life afterwards. I never thought I could say that I am grateful for what God was able to do in my life through that season and can relate to David’s words in the Bible that say:
“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”
~ Psalm 119:71 NIV
I share this to say, as difficult as it may be, there is purpose even in the painful moments and challenging seasons of life. Trust that God can use even those seasons to ultimately impact your life in a powerful and meaningful way. For as Scripture says:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28 NIV
Examine Your Interests and What Stirs Your Heart
Not only can our gifts and talents be an indicator of our purpose and calling in life, as I shared in Part I of Clues to Discovering Your God-Given Purpose In Life, but so too can those areas about which we feel passionate interest. God designed us with interests that vary as a function of our uniqueness. Is there a specific arena to which you feel drawn? Is there a cause about which you feel compelled to make a difference? Pay attention to the areas that stir your heart. They may be an indicator of a broader and higher God-given calling. Perhaps you feel a pull towards advocacy in some way, whether it be on behalf of animals, children or another area. Do you feel inspired to make an impact through a cause connected to social justice? Whatever the area to which you feel drawn, that feeling in your heart may be the Holy Spirit revealing the purpose for which you have been called to make a difference. In addition, that stirring in your heart will keep you motivated and inspired in those moments when you may feel discouraged or want to quit.
I think of the calling upon my father’s life, which came at a young age. God placed my father’s purpose in his heart at seven years old, in 1936, after witnessing his father have an asthma attack. From that day forward, my father set his sights on becoming a doctor. He excelled in his studies and never wavered from his commitment to pursue his desire to serve others through medicine. Even as friends teased my father for carrying such a lofty dream in his heart, in light of his humble beginnings in Haiti, my father pressed forward, graduating third in his class from medical school. He knew that if God was calling Him to a life of practicing medicine, God would guide, encourage and equip him. My dad went on to practice medicine for over fifty years, considering it to be among the greatest honors of his life to serve God and others through his gift of healing. My father’s obedience in answering his God-given calling and purpose in medicine is a perfect illustration of the following Scripture:
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
~ Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message
Were you called into your purpose through the stirring of your heart? Was your purpose unveiled after a difficult season? Did you feel intimidated by your purpose, at any point, as though you were not well equipped to carry it out? I welcome your sharing and look forward to hearing from you!