The Question of Calling

I have been reading a daily devotional book, Radical Wisdom: A Daily Journey for Leaders by Regi Campbell. Today's devotion was titled "The Question of Calling."

Now, when I hear about someone being called to something, the first thing I think of is a pastor. They are called to the ministry. I don't always think about calling when it comes to my own life, my job, or the other things I do.

But as I read this devotion, it made me think that maybe almost everything I do is a calling.

Something Kept Telling Me Not To

I've written here before that a couple of years ago, I was going to shut down this website, along with the social media pages that go with it. But something kept telling me not to.

Calling?

Then, about a year ago, I had an idea for something to share on the StillKruzn Arkansas social media pages—Grease Monkey Gospel. If you haven't seen these, I share them on Sunday mornings on the Facebook page and usually share them on my personal page as well.

Out of that came this series—From the Shop Stool. These are articles I write here on the blog and usually share on my personal Facebook page. They come from my own thoughts, something I hear someone else say, whether in person or in a YouTube video, or something I read—like this one!

I'll admit, writing both of these has been a struggle for me for more than one reason. I usually don't share things that personal, and when it came to sharing this kind of stuff on the StillKruzn Arkansas page, I didn't want to offend anyone.

But after talking to a friend, I decided that if something I share helps or encourages just one person, then it's worth it.

Calling?

Things In My Life Really Changed

After all of this, and if you've read my article titled "The Rear-View Mirror," you know that about four months ago, things in my life really changed when my job was eliminated.

After about three and a half months of looking for a job, an opportunity was put in front of me—Production Engineer at the Baptist Missionary Association of America.

What would I be doing? Website updates, video work, newsletters, and other print layouts. All things I had been learning to do over the past couple of years.

Calling?

Creating Things That Encourage Others

Now, I work for an organization that creates content every day to encourage others. Not only in my little corner of the world, but around the world. Through the ministries of BMA America, the content we create reaches people in more than 125 countries and in over 175 languages.

How cool is that!

I truly love what I get to do for a living. I have never doubted that what happened, and how it happened, was a God thing. That's the only explanation I have for it.

What Stuck With Me

The writer of this devotion heard Andy Stanley speak on the subject of calling and listed 15 takeaways from what he said. I'm not going to list all of them, but I am going to share a few that stuck with me:

  1. The value of a life is always measured in terms of how much of it was given away.
  2. Whatever you accumulated is worthless the moment you die. We undermine the value of life by holding on to it.
  3. We all think, "If I'm going to do something, I better do it now." We are aware that we're running out of time.
  4. It's wise to start doing meaningful things while we still have enough time, energy, and health to do them.
  5. Calling often begins as partnering rather than pioneering. Find someone who's working on the problem and wade in with them. (But don't come in with guns blazing telling them how to do it better. Just help out and learn.)
  6. Calling is always going to be more about who than what.
  7. A way to test calling is this question: "If I don't do this, will it feel like I'm being disobedient?"
  8. My responsibility is to do what I'm called to do regardless of the outcomes.

Calling?

Now, do I believe the things I started learning and doing a couple of years ago were a calling? Was starting Grease Monkey Gospel and From the Shop Stool a calling? Was the opportunity at BMA of America a calling?

Yes. Yes, I do!

I believe everything happens for a reason. And if you feel like you're being called to do something, then do it. Receiving a blessing is an awesome thing, but being able to do something that blesses others is even better.

From the Shop Stool