Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  Philippians 3:12

There are crossroads in life where the subject of vocation looms large. Maybe you’ve just finished a degree or finished raising children. “What are you going to do now?” people ask. And you’re probably wondering the same thing.

How do you know what you should do with your life–the thing, or several things, that are just right for you?  The word vocation comes to us from the Latin, vocare, which means to call.  A calling is especially meaningful for the follower of Jesus because the Bible says that first of all, we are to live lives worthy of the calling we have from God.  It’s a calling to a way of life described in the Bible book of Ephesians–a life of humility, gentleness, patience and unity within the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-3).

But each person, created in the image of God, has a call that involves specific gifts, tangible things that we can each do uniquely.  Eric Liddell, sprinter of the 1924 Olympic games was known for saying, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” What makes you feel most alive?  Yes, when have you felt “God’s pleasure” on you?

God gave you specific desires.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Here’s some great wisdom: “Discerning one’s vocation,” says Dr. Marv Wilson, “is not deciding what you can do, but what you must do.”[1]  What is the thing, that you must do, in this life?

 

Resource reading:  Philippians 3:12-14

[1] YouTube. (2018). Prophets, Session 7, Interpreting the Prophets Part 3, Intro Jonah. YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oka3liWq7bI.