By Arvin Kaufman
Do we exist on this planet by random coincidence? Are we born to die or is there a personalised master plan for our lives? Amazingly, we find answers to these grand questions of life laid out across scripture. The Bible states the case for our existence; Jesus Himself declares within the Gospel that the very hairs on our heads are numbered.
In short, we are known of God; created by Him and here for a specific purpose. The reasoning that we are called by God can at times sound like a daring statement when placed on the backdrop of what looks like less than perfect circumstances as we go about our daily lives.
Do we measure up to a calling by the creator of the universe? Well, logic would state that if He created the universe and placed us in it, then there must be a reason for our existence within His work. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. God calls each one of us into a unique role.
Whatever it is that God calls us to do, He wants us to do it with excellence and honour. Whether He has called you to be a mom, a chef, sports personality, painter, plumber or president, you must do your assignment with excellence. Usually we refer to this as a calling or purpose.
What is my purpose? The first step to establishing the call on our lives is to ask God.
Secondly, we must avoid comparisons with peers, relatives, social media personalities or anybody else. Simply trust God to walk into His unique and well-crafted master plan for your life. When looking to discover the call on your life, a good place to start is within your passions.
For example, if you enjoy time with kids, you may be called into teaching; if you enjoy travel, you may be called into tourism or even evangelism.
Take an honest assessment of your skills. Pay close attention to what you like and the problems you like to solve. One other way is to watch how you spend your time and the conversations you are passionate about.
In all this, you will find indicators of your calling. Furthermore if you believe God only calls perfect people, consider that Noah got drunk. Abraham lied about his wife. Jacob was a liar. Moses murdered an Egyptian guard. Rahab was a prostitute.
Samson had problems with lust and anger. David was an adulterer. Paul persecuted the church and Peter denied Christ. The people God chose to use are those that would not be considered worthy by our worldly standards. Today’s common benchmarks for leadership would classify them as incompetent – highly likely to fail on the job. Critics would label them too old, too young, not educated enough or didn’t go to the right school, not enough experienced, not the right race, background, social status and so on. God’s choices would be overlooked by our world today. Through His perfect grace, God prepares those He calls. I pray that you feel encouraged today to walk into whatever it is the Lord has called you to do.
