Your Calling
Our calling is not a destination - it is a process. We find our calling within the things (time, talent, treasure) we have and what we do (vocation, time, fellowship). Seeking and feeling God's joy in each of these things and steps.
The trap for our mind and our faith is when we seek a calling as a "thing," as a "vocation," treating it as a goal and a destination. God's ways are process oriented and so it is in the process of our calling where He works on and in us. The process and purpose of our calling is to be helpful to others and to continue transforming us from the inside out to look more like Jesus. It is the process that hones us in this regard because God works on us from the inside out.
We tend to build a narrative or put together a plan that has us identifying the vocation and the circumstance we need to have to fulfill our calling. However, it is the process that fulfills the calling that God has for us. It is the process that has us participating in God's narrative (rather than ours) for our life. All things we have and do fit into His narrative for our calling. The help we are to others and our transformation to be more like Jesus is the benefit and purpose of His process of our calling (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A1-4&version=MSG). God has you right where He needs you to be. He has you right where He can use you if you make yourself ready and available. His timing in the process will unfold our calling. An unfolding that happens in our forward steps in the process (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+3%3A12-14&version=NLT).
In this process we are to seek and feel God's joy. The joy of knowing how pleased He is when we do our work, our life, and take our steps for His purposes and glory (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A23–24&version=NLT). Purposefulness to be helpful to other. Purposefulness in surrendering our stubborn nature to Him so that we are available to Him for us to learn, grow, and mature as Christ followers. His glory that can be outwardly seen and felt because our thoughts, words and actions are grace filled and we live as forgiven people - children of God (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2%3A9-10&version=GNT).
Everything we have and all that we do become resources for us to live outwardly His purposes and His glory (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10-11&version=NIV). Do not be discouraged when your narrative for your vocation, timing, resources, and your life does not match what you think your calling is and/or you want your calling to be (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A33-34&version=ESV). It is His narrative for your life that matters. Live out your calling through the process.
