How to Know and Answer God’s Calling for Your Life

If you’re reading this right now and you feel comfortable with remaining in your comfort zone, playing it safe and you’re okay with living that average settled for kind of life, then allow me to give you a wake up call: God has NOT called us to live a comfortable easy-going life. He has a bigger purpose for you than to allow you to just get by, but the only way to live boldly and leave your mark on this world and impact others requires you to be open and willing to hear from God and obey Him no matter what.

God Has a Purpose and Vision for Everyone’s Life

God has a purpose and vision for everyone’s life. With that being said, our visions are not for ourselves but rather to give God glory. This is something you probably won’t want to hear: Vision will require you to be vulnerable. You’ll have to open yourself up to receive whatever it is God is trying to tell you and trust Him. The good news is that nobody in this world will ever be more trustworthy than He is – so you’re in good hands.

If your vision is something you can easily do on your own then it wouldn’t require you to need faith. This is why often times God will speak to us about our purpose and calling while we’re in the valley. He will give us vision while we’re low because then He will get the credit and praise for it when you’re high. Ask God for a vision for your life – He wants to give it to you! Let me prove it:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish..”

Proverbs 29:18, KJV

At the same time, the word also tells us that we are not to act thoughtlessly but rather have an understanding of what the Lord is calling us for.

“Do not act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

Ephesians 5:17, NLT

Be Intentional in Seeking God

In order to get a vision or understanding of what the Lord is calling you to do it will require you to seek Him. Get into His presence. I’m not just talking about once every couple of months, every few weeks or every now and then, I mean truly seek Him. Be intentional.

Each day set a certain amount of time to spend in God’s presence. This might mean waking up half an hour earlier or going to sleep half an hour later. You may have to make some sacrifices, but remember what I mentioned earlier? God did not call us to be comfortable! If you want God to move in your life in extraordinary ways you are going to have to start being intentional about getting in His presence. So set aside time each day to pray and talk with Him, read His word, listen to some worship music and ask Him to give you vision for your calling.

Don’t feel let down if you don’t receive vision right away; persistence is key. Be persistent with seeking Him and asking for God to give you a vision for your calling.

Okay So You Know Your Calling and Have a Vision… Now What?

When you do receive that vision, when you feel confident in what God is calling you to do, He gives us further instructions.

Write the vision and make it plain on the tablets…

Habakkuk 2:2, NKJV

Okay so now you have the vision. The next step is for you to take an extra step of faith and write it down. Write it down on a piece of paper and reread it- 5 times a day if you have to! This will be your testimony. Whatever God is calling you to do He will equip you for. It doesn’t matter if you’re not qualified because God qualifies the called.

Maybe you feel in your heart that God is calling you to start a Christian podcast or perhaps it’s to finally open up that online business. Maybe you feel led to start a blog or YouTube Channel or Ministry – whatever it is God placed in your heart is there for a reason. The question then becomes: How?

The Answer to Your “How” Questions

How? How do I start? Have you found yourself thinking that recently? Maybe God gave you a vision of where He wants to take you and how He wants to use you, but how do you even begin? How do you find people to listen to your podcast? How are you going to open up that business? How can you get subscribers to your channel? How can you start a ministry when you’ve never done something like that before? How?

If you keep asking yourself these questions let me assure you that you’re not alone. I found myself in the exact same place not too long ago. I had a vision of spreading God’s word to people all over the world: inspiring them, giving them Biblical advice for their relationships, how to get closer to God and encouraging them. I had my vision, but I also had “reality”. The reality was: we’re in the middle of a pandemic. How in the world am I going to reach people internationally when I can’t travel? How am I even going to reach people locally? How is this vision going to come to pass? How?

One thing I learned was that God is not intimidated by our how, He just wants our yes. I envisioned myself going to different places and speaking in different churches and other physical platforms… but God gave me a virtual platform instead. I thought, how am I going to reach people all over the world when we’re in the middle of a pandemic and can’t even travel (and insert any other excuse you can think of)? Yet none of this took God by surprise. He factored in the exact situation I was in long before it even happened. All He needed was my yes. Little did I expect that God would still allow me to reach and speak to people all over the world and in the middle of a pandemic – virtually. My point is this: God is not intimidated by our how, He just wants your yes. Remember that His ways are not our ways!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord.“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts…”

Isaiah 55: 8-9, NIV

So what is the key to answering God’s calling in your life? How can you answer all of your “how” questions? The answer is found in this verse:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you as well."
- Matthew 6:33, NIV

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." - Matthew 6:33, NLT

Seek Him First

The Word tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God. We are to seek God first. Then, we read a promise for what will happen when we do that: “And he will give you everything you need” or “And all these things shall be given to you as well.” Everything we need. In other words all of your How questions: How am I gonna find enough money to start this ministry? How am I going to find people to listen to my podcast or subscribe to my channel? The answer is we must seek the Kingdom of God first! When we do this God promises us that He will give us everything we need! I realize this probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth.

You might be thinking, “Okay I will seek and put God first in everything I do… and then what?” The problem is that sometimes we just want to overcomplicate things for ourself. For some reason we refuse to accept what is simple – instead we prefer to conclude that it can’t possibly be so simple so we proceed to try and make it much more complicated than it actually is. This is one of those cases.

We need to trust God’s word. It really is plain and simple. When we are being intentional about putting God first in all that we do and living righteously, then we are promised that He will provide for us and give us everything we need – and that is exactly what will happen for you and your vision. God will make a way when there seems to be no way. God will work in mysterious ways. He will be your provider. Seek Him first and rest in the comfort of His promises and everything else will fall into place.