How I was called by God

At age 40 I started wondering why I’m here on earth. I took a test that identified my spiritual gift as teaching.  Another test showed that my passion was mentoring men. So I “figured out” my purpose was to use my teaching gift to mentor men. But I’d meet guys once or twice and they’d drop out.  Truthfully, I wasn’t enjoying it either.

So I re-examined the data. This time I “figured out” my gift was leadership and my passion was to bring healing to others. Wrong again! Very few people experienced healing, and again I wasn’t enjoying serving them.

A friend showed me a different approach. I spent a day alone with God. I went with a question for God – “What do you want me to do with my one and only life?” I also identified Scripture that might answer this question – John 13-17. These chapters describe the last time Jesus met with His disciples. I figured whatever Jesus said must have been important.

First I read the chapters without stopping. Then I re-read them and took notes. Finally, I re-read them devotionally. If a verse jumped out, I asked God what He was trying to tell me. Right before I read John 17:4 the hairs on my neck stood up. “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

The verse explains that the Father gave His Son a unique purpose on earth. Jesus came to die on the cross in our place so we could be reconciled with God. It was an assignment that only Jesus could complete. In completing His mission, Jesus brought glory to His Father.

For the first time I understood my purpose. My purpose on earth is to teach Christians understand their purpose on earth. Since that moment my life and ministry haven’t been the same. I didn’t “figure out” my calling; instead, God “revealed” it to me in His time and His way.