Serving God When Your Calling is Hard to Find

The word "calling" can easily become laden with frustration and disappointment. What then?

“What is your calling? ”

That’s like the Christian version of “what do you wanna be when you grow up?” When you’re on the cusp of adulthood, the idea of calling is exciting. It carries connotations of destiny, meaning and purpose. It’s something you “find,” or eagerly await.

What about when you aren’t sure what your calling is?

When life events demand you take a step back from what you believe that calling to be?

Or when a prerequisite for that calling — a spouse for the person who feels called to marriage, for example — hasn’t been fulfilled? What then?

The word “calling” can become laden with frustration and disappointment. You might wonder if you missed yours, or are currently letting it pass you by.

Questions and Colossians 3:23

I’ve wondered this myself. Sometimes I’m fairly confident in what my calling is. Most times, though, I have a lot of questions. For instance, does everyone have just one “calling” on their life, or do some people’s paths diverge into multiple possibilities? Is it possible to determine your calling through personality and aptitude tests, or must you wait on a distinct word from God? Do I have a “calling” at all?

A few weeks ago at a chapel service, the speaker reminded us of Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

That is our calling. Something that all of us are called by God to do, regardless of our official job, career or vocation.

Look Around

Too often, I forget about this verse. I’ll go through the routine of life — work, chores, hobbies, seeing friends — all while wondering if I’m missing my true calling. Is there is something more glamorous, more wild, more spiritual that I should be doing? I ask God. Why haven’t I found it? Why haven’t you revealed it to me?

The problem comes when I spend so much time asking these questions that I barely notice what’s going on around me. I’m not engaged in my work. I ignore or carelessly complete menial tasks like housework. Seeing friends becomes something to check off a to-do list, rather than an opportunity for real fellowship.

My heart isn’t in any of it. But according to Colossians 3:23, it should be. I should treat all of it as if God is right there — and he is — and do it out of love for him.

Look around you, God is saying. You are called to serve me right now, in the situation you’re in, whether you’re washing dishes or sitting in your cubicle.

With Christ, Nothing in Life is Meaningless

I’m not advocating for anyone to stop seeking God’s calling on their life. Many Christians far wiser than I have written extensively on this topic. (The Stream recently published a book review of Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person. I haven’t read it yet, but it sounds like it contains some helpful insight. It’ll be released at the end of this month.)

I do believe people have unique talents and passions given to them by God to use for his kingdom. But I also know that for many of us, the journey to “calling” is long and confusing. For those who wonder whether we’ve “found” it yet or ever will, it might feel like our life is on hold. That God can’t use us yet. That our life has no real meaning.

That isn’t true.

By working at the tasks around us with all our hearts in service to God, we begin to bring his kingdom to earth. We exemplify what it looks like to be in a relationship with the risen Christ. We show people that the seemingly meaningless parts of life are not meaningless at all. And we might just notice something that leads us to the next place we need to be. Something we would completely miss if we weren’t wholeheartedly engaged with the everyday life around us.

So while you seek your special calling, don’t forget about the calling we believers share: to serve God with all your heart, no matter what you’re doing or where you are.