Before You Fulfill Your Calling

We all have a calling. Something God wants us to specifically do for Him.

And I would say that deep down, we all want to know and achieve that calling.

The problem is that we want it to happen automatically. A snap of our fingers and boom, we are there.

It doesn’t work that way. We first must be developed on the inside to fulfill what God wants us to do on the outside.

Take a look at these qualities that Paul says must first be present within us before we are “worthy of the calling you have received.”

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God won’t open our calling to it’s entirety, until He first knows we are able to handle what comes with it. As the Apostle Paul points out, we must be display humility, gentleness and patience. These are three essentials in our development that are vital to discovering and fulfilling God’s plan for our lives.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. Humility is owning and offering yourself (your gifts, your talents, your strength, etc) for the benefit of others. Humility opens us up to the wisdom and guidance of others. Humility enables us to take an honest look our lives, our behavior, and our motivations.

Gentleness is necessary for others to receive what we have to offer. Gentleness is usually developed through hardship, struggle, failure, disappointment and sorrows. The abundance we have been given is for the sake of others. Who we are today was developed and honed over time through trial and error. If we are not gentle with others, they won’t receive what we have to offer.

To be effective and not get ahead of ourselves, we must develop patience. We must be able to watch and wait for God’s timing. His movement and His intervention in our lives. This allows our hearts and the hearts of others to respond as they are able. This goes against our natural tendencies to try to arrange, manipulate, demand and control the response of others.

Take sometime for self examination today.

How’s God moving in your life?
How’s humbleness, gentleness, and patience being displayed in your life?
What’s holding you back from fulfilling your calling?
Who can help you in your journey?
What will you do today to make a change?