Do you struggle to know how God is calling you in your life?
He doesn’t answer when you pray. He has a message for you, but you have no idea how to hear it.
You feel disconnected from Him.
You think He doesn’t hear you when you ask Him for guidance. Then it prompts you to believe you are not good enough to do His work.
You struggle and need Him to show you. His silence gets louder every day, making it harder to keep the faith.
I understand. I’ve been there, too.
You have a story, and it’s filled with beautiful brokenness. Not one person on this earth knows what it’s like to be you.
For that simple reason, there is a unique path for your life that is only yours.
But God has bigger plans for you.
He has given you something special. All of your experiences, both wonderful and difficult, contribute to it. It’s taking new shape every time you face something in your life.
God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3, NKJV).
You have something God has given to you, just you.
He calls you to function in a certain way for His church.
If you have a gift of mercy, He needs you to comfort His people in hard times.
If your gift is prophecy, He needs you to tell the world about His grace, whether you shout from the rooftops or tell your neighbor in your backyard.
It’s for His purpose that you are different from anyone else in the world. God’s church isn’t the building you attend on Sundays. It’s His people.
Jesus sacrificed Himself for everyone.
Everyone includes … everyone—both the killer and the victim.
God rejoices when you believe in Him and want to share His word.
Through the Holy Spirit, your gift is magnified. It’s God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that equip you to share the fruits of the Spirit, such as goodness and love.
So how do you know when God is calling you?
Read the five ways God may be calling you.
Here are 5 ways to know when God is calling you to use your gift:
1. You notice something different
You start to notice how you are different from others and how your abilities can help a situation.
Your natural tendency to lead, comfort, or speak up is part of how God has equipped you for sharing His message.
You are comfortable in certain situations that others are not. But don’t compare yourself to others because just as you have a unique gift, they do too.
This gift has been with you for a long time, and you just start making the connection that maybe it is something more.
2. You can’t stop it
When someone is hurting, do you feel compelled to comfort them?
Or in a group of people, are you always the one to take on the leadership role?
This is because you naturally just can’t stop it. Especially when you are spending time with God and really connected with Him through Jesus.
It’s like it overflows out of you, and you are just along for the ride. When you are able to use the gifts God has given you, you feel invigorated.
It’s like you are a fish in water, swimming because that’s what you were meant to do.
3. God doesn’t stop calling you
Maybe you don’t recognize the positive impact you make, and you’re doubting yourself and God. You’ve tried to be successful in the world but faced heartache and failure.
You get frustrated and angry, even at God.
But you are still pulled toward Him in some way. You feel nudged to reach out to people.
Your fire is still kindled, but you’re not sure how hard you should burn. Maybe life has hit you hard.
But God still calls you to move forward. Perhaps it’s a different path than you thought, which makes you skeptical.
For that reason, you wish you could just turn it off.
But you can’t stop noticing the ways He’s guiding you.
4. When you listen, it’s blessed beyond measure
Ok, so you’ve noticed something going on, and you see that it’s powerful.
You have faith that God really is calling you, but how are you supposed to take the first step?
When God wants you to do something, He has a path for it. You won’t understand at the moment, but you’ll know when it’s led by Him.
When you step out in faith, He knows … and He was counting on it.
There is nothing you can do but pray and listen to His instruction. It’s not an easy path, but it’s a necessary one. You can’t see the impact from your point of view, but He can.
Trust that He will guide you. He’s already equipped you. The more you submit, the more you will grow and trust.
Spend time with Him to know His voice in your life. There are so many lies in this world, and the more you focus on Him, the easier it gets to separate the lies from His truth.
5. Service
Whether you believe it or not, you have a ministry.
God calls you with the gifts He’s equipped you to serve Him. That service will look different for you than it does anyone else.
You may be a nurse like me who cares for people that are sick. You may be a stay-at-home mom who is teaching her kids to grow in faith and love.
No matter where you are in your life, God calls you to do His work.
When you spend time with Him and become more aware of your gifts, it’s easier to recognize when He needs you.
Do you think spending time with your friend who is hurting because of her divorce isn’t a way to show mercy?
What about that time you helped someone who needed a few extra dollars just to get some food?
It’s in the little things that God equips you to reach His people. Those are the times that continually bless others and transform your heart.
You believe in Jesus and welcomed Him as your Savior. But, how did Jesus change you?
How do you know you’ve been made new?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17
You met Jesus in a way that’s uniquely yours. Whether you accepted Him years ago or just a few seconds ago, you’ve been made new.
But what changed? You don’t feel or look very different.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It doesn’t mean your doubtful, you just want to understand your purpose, right?
So, what does it mean to be a new creation?
Well, let’s go right to the source … God’s word. A few points of focus may help you understand the essential details surrounding the moment you spoke with your heart and accepted Jesus.
1. Reconciliation
There is no way we could be connected with God unless He chose to reconcile us to Himself.
God created this world perfectly. When sin had overtaken His creation, He chose to bring His children back to Himself through Jesus Christ.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
Reconciliation is not to reject us for our mistakes, but to love us and give us a chance for redemption through Him. Without God choosing to bring us back to Him, we wouldn’t have the chance at eternal life through Jesus.
In the same way God graciously gave us Jesus, we give the message of Jesus to one another.
Through our character of joy, love, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, all of these are the fruits that show God’s Spirit of reconciliation.
Kindness toward someone tells them they aren’t rejected but accepted. Especially if that person is someone who’s difficult. I know there’s one person that just popped into your mind … that’s the person He may be calling you to reach.
Without Jesus, it’s just too hard for us. We have gifts that He amplifies, but He is the One that works in us to reach people in ways we can’t.
2. Change
You may have known about Jesus for a long time. Maybe you struggled with really believing He was the Son of God.
But, the moment you said you accept Him as your Savior, you admitted something to yourself and to God.
You confessed with your heart that you are not perfect and make mistakes, but you aren’t justifying them with excuses.
You recognized you have sinned against God. You realized that your forgiveness is possible through Jesus Christ, His Son.
It’s different saying it with your heart, because you can easily go through the motions without having the Holy Spirit in your life otherwise.
For example, confession, going to church, even doing charity … you can do all of that without truly knowing Jesus.
Confessing with your heart is the circumcision Paul talks about in Romans 2. Physical circumcision was an outward expression of devotion to God. But saying it with your heart is a deeper bond with God.
Jesus changes your heart.
What’s in your heart is secret. But, God knows the deepest parts of you.
And that’s what He’s interested in seeing changed.
As a nurse, I can tell you that when a patient is sick, we always treat the symptoms but look for the underlying cause.
Such as, someone may be coughing or feverish, but fixing the root of the problem is what will ultimately make her better.
Changes need to come from the inside out. This is true for your body and your spirit.
Jesus said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” Luke 5:31-32.
Once you accept Jesus, He lives within you. You have His Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide you with your everyday decisions.
You’re a new person, a changed person.
As a result, once you confess with your heart, you start sharing it with the world through the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says you can’t put new wine into old wineskins or they will burst and be spilled. Well, you can’t be the same person you were once you accept Jesus as your Savior. It’s like putting old wine into new wineskin …
You are different.
3. Purpose
When you are a new creation in Jesus, your heart is His tablet, where the gospel message of Jesus Christ is written.
His church is not a building. It’s His people who believe and accept Him. Your body is your temple of worship.
The words written in your heart are from the Holy Spirit of God.
Your greatest witness for Jesus is the fruit you give to other people.
Kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, longsuffering, joy, peace, goodness, self-control, and love are the fruits that show Him you are His disciple.
You can’t sway people into thinking like you. God has a special relationship with every one of His children.
Just like someone couldn’t sway you into truly accepting Jesus with your heart, you can’t do it either.
But, once He lives within you, He will start molding you to do His work.
He is the Potter and you are the clay.
The moment you believe in Jesus the closer you are to being centered on the wheel. He starts working in you to mold you in the wonderful purpose He has for your life in Christ.
He pulls you toward differeing things. He calls you to reach people.
You are His vessel to help as many people as He can.
You’re not conformed to the world anymore, but transformed by the renewing of your mind.
You are free, and know the truth.
Jesus believes in you.
Do not believe the lie that you can’t do what God calls you to do.
In Christ, you can.
God bless you!
Please share in the comments one way Jesus has changed your heart.
He is the Son of God, who came to earth as a sinless sacrifice. He took away the sin of the world by laying down his life for everyone. He was crucified, died, and was resurrected on the third day. Through Him, we have salvation and everlasting life.
Do you remember the first time you heard the good news of Jesus Christ?
Who is the one who told you about Him?
Maybe your first time hearing it is one minute ago when you read the first paragraph of this post.
Or, perhaps it’s been years, and you can barely recall. Either way, I’m so grateful to God that your heart is open.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be savedJohn 3:16-17
Those verses are so powerful that just reading them makes me get chills. When I get chills, I feel the Holy Spirit working in my heart … and I immediately start crying.
Not just a delicate tear trickling down my face, but a full-on messy, sobbing kinda cry.
Then it’s followed by laughter because God is probably like, Oh geez, here she goes!
My seven-year-old son hears me and says, “Mama, are you crying again? It’s ok, mama,” as he gives me a big hug. Of course, then we laugh together.
God bless his heart.
John 3:16 is probably one of the most quoted verses in all of the scripture. Jesus Himself tells us the good news in this verse.
Maybe you don’t remember all the details of when you first heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, but there’s a time in your life when it just stuck with you.
For some reason, you were impacted by it.
The words cut through to your heart and sparked something different inside of you.
You heard stories from the Bible quoted before, but it’s like you were really listening for the first time in your life.
Something spoke to your heart.
Right then and there, you were a different person.
You were finally made aware of a secret you unknowingly searched for your entire life.
Excitement, fear, grief, sadness fought for you right at that moment.
You couldn’t explain what happened to you, but something transformed, and you would never be the same.
No matter where you are in your faith journey with Jesus, you are forever changed once you have the gospel. Even when you try to escape it.
There was a darkness inside you at one point that was suddenly brightened.
You have a light that will always shine.
Knowing the gospel is a gift. Living the gospel is how you share your gift with those who need it, just like the person who shared it with you.
Whatever your darkness looked like, the world loved it.
The world wanted that darkness to last for as long as possible.
It still wants your darkness, that’s why sometimes you feel confused, or like you’re the rope in a tug of war.
Darkness hates the light because the light conquers it.
Once you know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, He comes into your life, and His light is yours.
The truth will never depart from you. It’s inside you, even when you think you’re too broken to be blessed by it anymore. Jesus dwells with you from the moment you accept Him as your personal Savior.
Jesus’s light shines through you…
There is no hiding the truth. When you reveal the truth of Jesus Christ, it’s like putting a flame to a candle in a dark room. It brightens everything in the room, including the one lighting the candle.
Things are visible that once weren’t.
You know the truth about Jesus Christ.
During this holiday season, remember the truth that was shared with you.
Be the light of the world, just like Jesus says you are.
Your light brightens in ways you don’t expect. Kindness toward a stranger … forgiveness toward an enemy … trusting the Lord during a difficult time … these are the ways to share the light that Jesus put inside you.
You have the most incredible gift right inside of you to share with the world.
Your light can change the life of someone you love, or even someone you’ve never met.
You don’t have to check all the boxes you think to be a “good Christian.” You know Jesus, and He lives in you.
He chose you because of who you are, not because of what you do.
Step aside and let Him shine.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?Run in such a way that you may obtain it
How can we trust God when He has the power to change everything … and He doesn’t?
When life-changing things occur in our lives, our faith is shaken to its core.
If you’ve faced a terrible situation, you never thought or hoped it would happen to you. It’s almost worse if you have a strong faith because it’s just so easy to blame God.
He has control, so why didn’t He intervene?
Now, some events are especially heartbreaking. Those ones you read about and say, Oh my gosh, I don’t know what I would do if that happened. That’s horrible!
If you’ve experienced one of those, you know what it’s like to travel down a hole of despair and not see daylight for weeks, maybe months. A pit in your stomach filled with guilt and anger, with no cure except occasional blame. Yourself, God, the mailman for waking you up by knocking on your door … it doesn’t matter.
You blame the world.
And you hate it.
And you’re afraid of it.
On the contrary, when a great event happens, we do this weird thing to ourselves, trying not to get too happy about it.
Imposter syndrome.
Have you heard the term?
Yep, you feel like you’re a stand-in or a fake.
It shouldn’t be yougetting the blessings, and it’s just a matter of time before it all falls apart.
Conversely, when good things happen, you may dodge imposter syndrome by being grateful.
Gratitude is great, but sometimes when everything has worked out, you stop doing what you did leading up to them working out.
For example, you prayed every morning and built a relationship with God while going through something challenging. All that praying helped you talk to Him and listen to His direction.
When He works in your life, and you experience an answered prayer, you stop talking. It’s so easy to get lost in the good stuff, too, because we want to savor it. But we often forget about God.
Do you see how you are tested in both good and bad situations?
Faith takes commitment, but not the way YOU think.
It takes submission to God.
Trust what God tells you, but also His control in your life. Even when you think He isn’t listening.
Your commitment doesn’t mean doing everything you can to make changes yourself.
It means doing everything you can to surrender to God.
You don’t have the strength to handle some things. That’s why He is your Rock.
There’s a verse I want to share with you and look at differently.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Think about that word temptation.
Immediately you think of being curious to do something bad, right?
Well, let’s face it, we make mistakes and want bad things sometimes as human beings.
But temptation means pulling you away from God. Usually, it’s associated with seeking the world instead of Him.
When we turn to ourselves for answers, isn’t that pulling away from God, too?
No matter how torn apart you feel, God is always there for you.
In your weakest moment, His strength can overcome.
Don’t be tempted to run from Him because you’re hurt or mad at Him. Run towards Him with it.
He is faithful and will NOT let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
He knows you’re hurting, and He hears your cry.
God says He will make a way of escape so you can handle it.
When your faith is tested, He is faithful toward you. He will give you what you need to handle whatever is happening in your life.
Whether it’s a great blessing or pure anguish, He equips you.
So how do we trust God with the hard stuff that happens?
Submit in faith to Him.
He knows what you need. He’s the only One who truly understands your heart.
Don’t stop spending time with Him. Just pray to accept His will for your life.
That’s exactly what Jesus did. Jesus’ relationship with God, His Father, is an example for us.
Trust God. Keep your faith. Submit to Him. And don’t stop praying.
If you are going through something today and God has helped you, please share it in the comments. I am personally encouraged by your testimony, and so are many others. We’re in this together.
Sometimes your heart simply needs to be held up. Or maybe you need a little push to be courageous.
As a nurse, I’ve witnessed people go through things they never thought could happen to them.
One moment they’re spending time with family, the next moment, they are in a hospital bed fighting for their life.
When there is so much uncertainty in the world, it’s hard to know what to hang onto.
If you’re going through a difficult time right now, I want you to know that you’re not alone.
You will get through this time in your life, especially when you reach for God to help you. Your loved ones can give you numerous ways of support, which is a blessing in itself.
But sometimes, you need something really personal to connect with to strengthen you when you’re alone with your own thoughts.
Maybe you’re fighting a disease or struggling with crippling anxiety.
Perhaps you’re broken in ways you don’t share with anyone.
It pulls you toward God and helps you to rely on Him. It’s the truth that reels you back when you’re lost in the emotions that life stirs up.
I’ve gone through it too, and there’s a verse that’s connected with me despite my struggles. It’s so ingrained in my heart that I probably couldn’t forget it if I tried.
That verse alone secures me. It reminds me in times of utter fear, it’s ok to trust God.
When I first started working as a nurse, I was so afraid of making a mistake.
I didn’t want to do the wrong thing because, frankly, people’s lives depended on it.
I didn’t know how to overcome the sense of overwhelming worry before setting foot in that hospital.
So I prayed.
For some reason, that verse would pop right into my heart.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3: 16-17
What verse do you carry with you?
If you don’t have one you can think of it’s ok, but it will help you in your life. I know it seems impossible to remember verses and chapters like pastors do, but you don’t have to do that.
Just one is a good start. Remember, you also have a Helper in the Holy Spirit.
Lusts of the world will attack every part of you in every way possible.
Lies, hate, and all the grime in between are what we face in a world that only loves itself.
When you’re thrust into turbulent waters, you struggle to stay afloat. You’re thrashed with powerful waves that seize and try to take you away.
Scripture is your anchor to keep you rooted in God.
It’s so easy to get lost in the massive waves filled with confusion, but just one verse will keep you focused on what He tells you. It won’t leave you.
So how do you choose a verse?
I’m confident that once you open the Bible and start reading, there is something that will connect with your spirit. God knows your heart and what you need to hear. When you come across a verse that speaks to you, it’s like He guided you right where you needed to go.
He’s kind of amazing like that.
I can’t tell you what will ignite your spirit, but I can surely encourage you to seek Him and spend time in His Word. You will not be disappointed. God’s word will pull you toward Himself.
His scripture will anchor you no matter what you are going through.
If you have a verse that has guided you in your life, please share it in the comments. I’d love to hear your story about it!
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