I have struggled with knowing God’s calling and purpose for my life. I would say that many have struggled with this as well. What does it mean to have a calling and purpose?

God’s general calling for the church is to make disciples of all nations. I like to define a specific calling as a specific mission or reason why God put us on this earth. This is the good works that God has prepared in advanced for us to do.

How do we find our specific calling? I believe this is something we need to listen for. This is not something we choose or look inwardly for but is revealed to us.

What about purpose? I know that God has a purpose for every season. Therefore, I believe that purpose changes from season to season. One season of life does not have the same purpose as the next.

Finding our purpose in each season takes discernment. This isn’t something we necessarily need to know right away, but over the course of time, we can discern what the purpose for each season is. I think it’s true that to discern what our purpose is, we need to live with purpose.

Action always brings clarity. To discern our purpose for the current season, we are to not only spend time in the word and prayer but also take action and live with purpose. Frederick Douglass once said, “I prayed for freedom for 20 years and received no answer until I started praying with my legs.”

Every season of life has a different purpose. Each season either prepares us for our calling or helps us live out different stages of our calling. We must go deep into the word and prayer and take action every day to discern what God’s will is.

Be encouraged.

Phil