Recently, it came to my attention that a lot of us- hungry, committed, passionate Christians- seem to be asking the same questions:
What is God calling me to do?
Am I where I’m supposed to be?
Should I be doing more?
Those are real, honest questions that apparently, are very common among those who love the Lord.
But the unnecessary pressure to have a timely, calculated answer can quickly open the door to a battle with anxiety.
Let’s focus for a moment on this simple reminder: Your first calling is not to a task, a place, or a plan. Your first calling is to Jesus. It is to know Him deeply and intimately.
Before God calls you to a ministry, assignment, job, platform, or mission, He calls you to abide in Him, follow Him, obey Him, learn His ways, and become more like Him. He wants you to know Him well enough that representing Him becomes natural.
Jesus began the journey of His disciples with two simple words: “Follow Me.” Not, “Join Me, and I’ll show you how to prepare for your entire future.”
They followed Him for roughly three years before the fullness of their assignment even became clear. And even then, they often did not understand where they were going or what Jesus was doing. But God provided.
Paul also spent years in obscurity, in the training, planning, and making.
That teaches us something even seasoned Christians sometimes struggle to learn: God often gives direction one step at a time.
Psalm 119:105 says His Word is a "lamp to our feet." A lamp. Not a floodlight illuminating the entire pathway or the next ten years.
His provision is often daily. Think manna from heaven.
So if you cannot see the entire picture yet, that does not mean you are not on the right trajectory or wasting time. It does not mean you missed God. And it does not automatically mean you are in the wrong place.
God is sovereign.
He can direct your steps even when you do not realize He is directing them. He opens doors. He closes doors.
He orchestrates encounters. He directs and redirects our paths. And His timing is very different from ours.
Our responsibility, in the middle of all of this is remarkably simple: Be faithful. Be obedient. Stay surrendered. And trust that as you walk with Him, He is fully capable of keeping you within His will.
When the time comes for movement, activation, or a new assignment, you need to be able to recognize His leading.
And that is why relationship, knowing Him, and intimacy matters. You cannot expect to recognize the voice of someone you rarely spend time with.
Know Him. Know His Word. Know His character. Know His ways.
And remember, you do not have to prove anything to God.
He knows your heart. He knows your willingness. He knows your desire to serve. He knows your readiness.
I believe that for many of us, if God were to simplify the message, it might sound something like this: Be faithful with what I have already put in front of you. Where you are right now, love people well. Be a spiritual leader in your home. Serve where you are.
Whether you are working, studying, waiting, building, raising a family, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, look for the ministry opportunities that already exist all around you and be bold there.
Represent Jesus in your home.
Represent Jesus in your workplace.
Represent Jesus at school.
Represent Jesus among your friends.
Represent Jesus to the person standing in front of you today.
And while you are doing all of those things, stay in Scripture. Pray. Obey what you already know. Obey what God has already made clear in His Word.
Discover and use the gifts He has given you.
Pay attention to the burdens that repeatedly stir your heart.
Very often, clarity comes through seasons of obedience, testing, preparation, and growth, and many times it comes when we least expect it.
The wilderness frequently comes before greater responsibility. Preparation often happens before promotion.
So listen to what I am saying and consider this: It is entirely possible that you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now.
You do not have to manufacture a calling.
You do not have to force a ministry.
You do not have to invent an assignment.
You do not have to prove your usefulness to God.
Your life is not behind schedule.
Stay close to Jesus. Be faithful with what you have. Be faithful with where you are. Be faithful with who God has placed around you. Be faithful in the now, here today.
And when God wants you to move, He is fully capable of making that direction clear.
Maybe your assignment right now is simply to become the best representative of Jesus you can possibly be to every person God puts in your path.
And if that is the assignment, ask yourself: Is that calling somehow less important? Absolutely not.
The real question is not: “What do I want to do for Jesus?" It should be: “Jesus, what do You want from me?” This can’t be forced. Remember, it’s a lamp of direction, not a beacon.
Here’s a higher-level perspective entirely: If you can trust Him completely with your salvation, surely, you can trust Him with your calling and direction?
Quit making your life all about you, your need to plan, or have direction, and just trust Him… allow it all to be about Him. He will honor and provide.
~Devin
Devin Osborne
The Early Church
