Living With A Calling

If someone were to ask you "What have you been called to do with your life?" what immediately comes to mind?

If you do vocational ministry, you have probably heard the word "calling" more times than you can count. Some people who are nurses, teachers, financial planners, doctors, accountants, and really any other profession call their chosen career path a "calling."

The problem with the word is that it has this mystique to it that is somewhat ridiculous. It is almost like having a "calling" on your life makes it easier to live passionately (another topic I want to blog about soon) and with a clearer sense of purpose than others who lack that specific "calling."

That is not correct.

If you are a Christian, you are absolutely called to certain things, all things that you should be passionate about. You are called to share your faith in Jesus, to serve in a church, to help others, to be humble, to glorify GOD, to pray, to be a husband/wife, a mother/father, etc.

You may be surprised to find out that I (Matt) was 100% not initially called to Haiti. I love Haiti and I would do anything to help that country, but a calling to Haiti was not why we moved there. I wasn't called to be a missionary either.

Initially, I was called to be there for a group of kids. A group of kids that were struggling, left most alone, not taken care of, and all of that through no fault of their own. A group of kids that I still love, that I am still passionate about, and that I still want to help in any way possible.

I was recently interviewing with a church about a children's ministry position, and I remember being asked if I "feel called into children's ministry." What a question.

I am not downplaying a call to a specific profession or ministry, but I have 3 children that are of "children ministry" age right now. How on earth could I not be "called to children's ministry?"

There are 2 other problems with living life with a calling:

 1. People use it to make themselves sound and seem more important. 

 2. It is "us" focused rather than "GOD" focused.

In both instances, the words "I" and "feel" are far too prominent. It is always "I feel called" or "I remember my calling" or just as often "I don't feel called to..."

Our kids, when they do not want to do something, love to say "I feel tired." They will be running around the yard going as crazy as possible, and as soon as it is time to clean up they are all of a sudden too tired to do anything.

I want to encourage our kids to not let their feelings dictate everything.

I want to encourage us to not let our feelings dictate our calling.

I am still extremely passionate about All Things New, and I know that I have been called to these kids. That calling pushes me, but it does not define me.

I am called to every child that is hurting, every person who does not know Jesus, to serve any church of which I am a part, to do my best at whatever job I am in, to give my money away anyone who needs it, and to pursue every single calling I have on my life from the Bible and from Jesus no matter how I am feeling.

So Are You!