Clarify Your Calling – Week 2
Welcome to Week 2 of Clarify Your Calling!
Have you ever felt like God is telling you to do something big for Him, yet you feel unqualified and inadequate to complete the task?
As I struggle with my own call as a writer, I often think, “I’m not cut out for this”.
If I had a degree in journalism, knew every grammar rule including the ones that I can’t pronounce, and could throw together a piece of writing without dependence on God’s strength, wisdom, and clarity, I would be doing everything in my own power.
Without God, it’s not a call, it’s a cultivated craft of man.
If we are looking for clarity in our calling, the first thing we need to do is ask God for His direction.
I’ve often heard the advice that you should do what you are passionate about, but I think I disagree. Passion can be misleading. I’m passionate about a lot of things. My personality type is to dive in and do things with all my might. My heart thuds valiantly to do something and do it well. One of my life-long passions is volleyball – particularly coaching.
I could easily get myself a job as a volleyball coach. With five years of experience, I could step out on a court and help a team reach their potential and I would pour my passion into every moment. But for this season, that thing I’m super passionate about isn’t my calling. It’s not what God has called me to do even though my heart bursts within my chest at the thought of teaching a teenage girl how to control the ball and perform to her best ability.
Before you embrace the thing where your passion bleeds, ask God for His direction.
Don’t pursue your passion, pursue God’s plan.
How do I know God’s plan?
1. Seek Him Daily
As you struggle with what to do, where to go, how long to stay, when to make a change, or how much time to give to whatever it is that fills your day, fervently seek God.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13(ESV)
2. Serve Him Faithfully
This doesn’t mean you are at the church every waking moment fulfilling acts of service that take up every moment of your life (unless God is calling you to that). But the service I am speaking of is heart service. It’s a daily surrender that can only be acted on in complete release of the will and desires of man. It’s giving up the thing you want to hold onto and allowing God to place something different into your hands. It’s letting go of the turmoil that you rehash day after day and embracing the peace that only God gives. It’s removing things that cloud your view of God and keep you from spending undivided time with Him. It’s living a life devoted to Him in every moment. There’s so many things that fill up our lives each day that have nothing to do with Him. Faithfully serving means your day is filled with His stuff.
It’s letting go of good things to make way for greater things – God things.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Psalm 1:1-2(KJV)
3. Surrender to Him Expectantly
God promises to direct His children. We know this is true. However, there are plenty of people in the world who go to church, put in their time and wonder why God isn’t showing them the way to go. It’s not about doing this, so God will do that. It’s about surrendering to His way. Sometimes that means doing things even when we don’t feel like we are the best person for the job.
When God calls you, His call qualifies you even if your skill set is lacking.
But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:10-12(ESV)
Step 1 to Clarify Your Calling: “Don’t pursue your passion, pursue God’s plan.”
Dear Heavenly Father,
Guide us, Oh Lord, as we seek your purpose. Show us where to step and where to step back. Give us wisdom to know when you are calling and discernment to know how to stop feeding our passions and start pursuing your purpose.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Love & Blessings,
Micah
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! And as always, share this with someone you love!
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God has been speaking these same thoughts to me recently, Micah. Even to the very verses you have referenced. I feel that He is calling me to something, yet I know not what. I do feel strongly that whatever it is, it is not something I am gifted for. You have encouraged me to keep waiting on Him. Have a blessed day!
It’s interesting how we often feel drawn to things we are naturally good at, but I am learning the more I embrace the things I struggle with, the more I hear from God. How beautiful to know another sister is hearing from God in a similar way! Keep seeking, Margaret! I can’t wait to see what God does!
I couldn’t agree more, Micah! I’ve seen infographics that float around Facebook and other places that say “pursue your dreams …” and I always think, no! Pursue God and His dreams for you! I love this and will be sharing!
Thank you! And thank you for sharing!!
Such sound and godly advice, Micah! I’m so glad I had the chance to meet you at She Speaks and will enjoy following your blog.
Darla, I’m so glad we got to meet too! Thank you for our kind words!
The key is in the surrender of our plans for God’s plan. I believe that God gifts us with certain strengths that can be an indicator of his direction. Early in my life I used a lot of my administrative gifts, but ultimately those gifts propelled me along the pathway as a minister, speaker, and writer. But during those early years I learned so much using my gifts to serve and learn things I never knew I would need for what I am doing now. Your post is an important reminder that all we do is for God’s glory and not our own. Visiting from #mommymoments :)
I agree that we are gifted with specific strengths, but the idea here is that strength is not always an indicator of divine direction. I love how God directs our steps in His perfect way through making us each unique and with a specific purpose. Thank you for sharing how God used your specific gifts to propel you forward for His glory. What a beautiful reminder to follow His plan.
Wow! This is is so poignant and powerful Micah. Beautifully written. I fell into the trap of following my passion many years ago. That passion became a struggle over time. I always loved writing but did not study it other than a poetry class in high school. I always loved the power that words can have. I am excited to follow God’s plan though i feel unqualified most times. i thank Him for giving me the opportunity to do His will for my life. I continue to trust Him more each day. I will be sharing this post on my Inspiration page. Thank you for challenging us to clarify our calling as we seek to live for Christ. Have a wonderful week and may God richly bless you and yours!
Keep writing! Isn’t it amazing how God can ordain simple obedience and create something beautiful!
Great post! I agree with your thoughts today. I am a believer that God’s plans are ones that stretch as beyond our comfort zone. As you said, it might not be our passion but it is what He planned for us. He seeks to move us closer to Him and our ideas of what that looks like many times do not line up with His ideas. I know it is in the seeking of God daily that we will not only find I’m but discover the rich plans He created for us. We then need to listen and embrace what is next. Blessings!
Yes! It’s in the seeking. I think that’s often when I get hung up. I start doing things in my own strength and stop seeking Him with an undivided heart. I love your thoughts today, Mary! Thanks for dropping in!
Micah, this is really good! I have a collegue teaching a course on finding passion right now, and his overall insight is to seek God’s plan to discover the unique DNA passion placed within each of us from birth. Love this topic and the practical insight. Crystal~
Crystal, what a cool coincidence. Or is it? I love it when God is teaching things simultaneously to several people. So many times, God uses different ways to reveal His truth to me. I pray this simple blog series will be a blessing to someone who is searching for direction.
What a beautiful post, Micah! So glad you are doing this blog series. Oh how my heart needed to read this. Especially number two. Bless you, dear sister!
Thanks so much, Lauren! It’s so good to see you here! I hope you have a great week!
Your post makes me think of the saying, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” Sometimes we don’t even know what all of our gifting might include until we are smack in the middle of being obedient to what He asks of us. The main thing is to seek Him.
I love what you said. So true!
One word really caught my eye (and my heart) today: expectantly. Surrendering to Him expectantly puts a whole new light on the journey of faith. So often, I’m afraid my adverb of choice is “resignedly” — as in, “OK God I know I’m s’posed to do this, so let’s get on with it.”
What if we woke up every morning to the plan of God as if it were our absolute best option? (Because, of course, it is . . .)
Thanks, Micah!
Oh Michele, you always seem right in sync with my heart. Yes, expectantly! Isn’t God so amazing!
Fought it for years – but HE WON!!! Never didn’t write, but now intentionally on my faith blog!!! Visiting from WWI.
Yay! You go girl! Keep writing! Thanks for stopping by!
Seek Him Daily is the most important. A book I’m reading right now was saying something similar… she said that when we are intertwined with the Lord then His thoughts become our thoughts… and we don’t have to wonder so much about God’s will, b/c we will understand His specific calling on our lives and it will be obvious what to do and what not to do. thanks!
Karen, I love that! It’s so true! I just read a verse that confirms this – “Commit your way unto the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 16:3 I love how God works in each of us at the right time to confirm what God is telling us!
Micah,
This post is so full of encouragement… my mind will be marinating for a while.
Without God, it’s not a call, it’s a cultivated craft of man.
Micah,
Thank you for your many thought-provoking words here…
~”Without God, it’s not a call, it’s a cultivated craft of man.”
~”Don’t pursue your passion, pursue God’s plan.”
~”It’s letting go of the turmoil that you rehash day after day and embracing the peace that only God gives.”
~”It’s letting go of good things to make way for greater things – God things.”
I am so grateful for your willingness to come alongside others and help them discover their God-given purpose.
Have a Blessed Week!
Wow! Leigh Ellen! I love the quotes you highlighted! It so encourages my heart to know God is using simple words to encourage! Love you!
Our callings from God are so important yet so many miss them in the midst of chasing so many other things. Great tips here Micah and what a great series idea! We all need a little more of “…letting go of the turmoil that you rehash day after day and embracing the peace that only God gives”. Thanks for sharing and your heart tuned to God’s call upon it.
Jill, it’s really sad isn’t it. How often this world distracts us from what God has for us. That turmoil is so messy, and so consuming. I’m learning little by little to let go and embrace all that God is teaching me. It’s not easy.
Great words of wisdom for wives. Thanks for sharing this.
blessings,
The How-to Guru
Shan Walker
Saved in my favorite posts bookmark : ) Thanks, Micah, for this series- I can’t even explain how timely it is. So many treasures “just for me” here today- like this one “Without God, it’s not a call, it’s a cultivated craft of man.” and this one “It’s letting go of the turmoil that you rehash day after day and embracing the peace that only God gives. It’s removing things that cloud your view of God and keep you from spending undivided time with Him. It’s living a life devoted to Him in every moment.” Going to be praying on these today.
I’m so thankful this was an encouragement. I hope you have a blessed week!
I love how our God has plans for us. He’s so faithful and willing to share that vision when we look to Him and listen. Good encouragement and guidance offered, Micah. #thoughtprovokingThursday
Kristi! Thanks for stopping by! I’m so thankful for His constant faithfulness even when I am not faithful!
So, so good, Micah! God’s plans are far better than what I could have ever imagined! Such an encouraging and wise post!
Thank you, Liz! Blessings!
Awesome post! I’ll be featuring you at Women With Intention Wednesdays this week! :)
Thank you!
Such a great reminder to give our hearts to God in surrender as service. So many times I think that to serve God means to get involved in a service project or volunteer work, but first we must surrender! Thank you for this encouragement!