Discerning Your Spiritual Calling in Ordinary Life
One of the biggest mistakes you will make when attempting to discern your spiritual calling is looking for the extraordinary. Multiple biblical stories surround God’s calling with angelic proclamations, burning bushes, and miracles. Yet, we never consider these stories are told repeatedly throughout history because of their extraordinary nature. There are indeed many astonishing examples of God’s calling individuals to service in miraculous ways; yet the instances of calling to a particular vocation or profession are rare in Christendom. So, let’s look at the ordinary ways that God calls you to serve.
If you are questioning if you are called by God; the good news is, you are! The minute you are born on this planet, you are called. This is the general calling of God to create and contribute meaningfully, foster community through healthy relationships, and care for the environment and planet via stewardship. (Note that I explore your general calling in greater depth in the blog posting: The General Spiritual Calling: Creation, Care, and Community.
The ordinary calling you experience appears mundane; yet it is vital for God’s ongoing work on the planet. Through your daily work, interactions with others, and care for humankind and the planet, you take part in the creative order of God daily. This type of calling is so ordinary that you may not even realize you are taking part in God’s ultimate plan for your life and this planet.
In Mathew 25:31-46 Jesus teaches through a parable that uses sheep and goats to illustrate the power of ordinary callings. In Jesus' story, God separates the sheep from the goats just like an ancient shepherd. The sheep represent those who serve God through ordinary task of life. The goats represent people who didn't respond to the dire needs of humanity. The sheep were oblivious to their acts of service in ordinary life. They, in fact, are so unaware that they respond to God in confusion, “When did we feed, clothe and care for you, Lord?” God simply responds, “when you serve your fellow man; you serve me.”
The ordinary call of God takes so much pressure off your need to clarify your meaning, purpose, and direction in life. In God’s view, when you create and contribute to the world, foster a sense of community, and care for and manage his creation, it is service to God. Anything you have an opportunity to do in service is indeed your spiritual call.
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God’s Call through the Ordinary: The Story of Esther
Esther is a unique biblical narrative in that it never mentions God directly, nor does it even outline God’s plan for Esther. The approach of this book is purposeful. The author of Esther wants to show God is working behind the scenes, even in everyday circumstances.
For those unfamiliar, King Xerxes throws a party and demands his wife, Queen Vashti, attend the party. When she refuses the king’s order (which was a major social taboo), he deposes his wife and then holds a beauty contest to replace her. Esther takes part in the beauty contest and wins, ultimately marrying the King. Shortly after Esther becomes queen, a man named Haman promotes to the highest position on Xerxes’s royal staff. Haman uses his newfound power to develop a plan that would eradicate the Jews from the Persian kingdom. Haman requests the king order an edict to kill all the Jews in Persia. Through a series of plot twist, fortunate events, and bold decisions made by Esther; the King allowed the Jews to fight back against their enemies. (For the full story visit The Bible Project’s short video Overview: Esther).
One of the main lessons of the Book of Esther is God uses ordinary circumstances and people to accomplish God’s purpose. Nowhere in the book of Esther does an Angel visit or provide divine guidance regarding Esther’s calling. There, in fact, is no evidence that Esther experienced a divine call to save her people.
Esther was indeed an ordinary person placed in extraordinary circumstances and it was these circumstances that created her calling. The purpose of the story of Esther is to provide counterpoint and balance to the Christian concept that God’s guidance only comes via the extraordinary and supernatural. The story of Esther shows God works in the ordinary lives of people who choose to serve God through doing the next right thing.
The Ordinary is Your Path to Your Spiritual Calling
The beauty of the story of Esther is God uses ordinary people in ordinary circumstances to achieve extraordinary results. Esther didn't need a divine meeting with God to know her calling. She simply acted within her general calling to achieve God’s purpose by doing the next right thing.
When you look at Esther’s actions, you can see clearly the three spheres of spiritual calling: creation, community, and care. Esther navigates her spiritual call of creative contribution by entering the beauty contest and becoming the King’s wife. She actively seeks a way of using her unique talents, gifts, and abilities (in this case, her beauty) to serve God. Once she used her gift to become queen; she fostered community with King Xerxes through hosting private dinners and maintained her connection to her Uncle Mordecai and her Jewish heritage. Ultimately, she answered her call of caring for creation by preventing the genocide of her people.
It is so imperative to note there is no divine intervention in this story, no spending hours and days begging God for guidance, and there is no direct instruction provided by God. Esther uses the ordinary call of creation, community, and care to decide what actions to take and her next steps within her calling.
No Road Map: Just a Vision and a First Step Is Your Spiritual Call
When you are seeking your spiritual call, it might tempt you to wait for the proverbial burning bush, an angelic visit, or God’s voice thundering from the mountain. The examples of divine, direct guidance in the Bible are the exception rather than the rule. For every Moses, Paul the apostle, and Elijah the prophet who experienced extraordinary callings, there are hundreds to thousands of unnamed followers of Christ who had to discern their calling and purpose within everyday life. God is far more likely to speak to you about your spiritual calling in the mundane experiences of your life. This does not make your spiritual calling lesser. In fact, like Esther, you may be called to serve for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
God did not give Esther a direct calling or a road map regarding her spiritual calling. She had to live her calling through daily experiences and opportunities. Through her obedience in ordinary circumstances, a plan to save her people from genocide emerged. God is not likely to give you a road map of your calling. Most spiritual calls begin with seeing a need and receiving an idea of how you can help. These revelations usually take place as a quiet knowing in your thoughts and feelings. There is something that just feels right. This quiet knowing excites your heart and soul as you see a way that you can partner with God to make a difference.
The quiet knowing is persistent and lingers in your heart and soul. It walks through the corridors or your mind throughout your day, unobtrusively reminding you of its presence. A true spiritual calling will never provoke panic, anxiety, or frustration when it beckons you to service. A real spiritual calling speaks in quiet whispers to your soul.
This doesn’t mean you won’t experience doubts, fears, or anxiety about taking the next step. These doubts and fears are often associated with your desire to have a detailed plan of action to guide you versus with the calling itself. Instead, God only gives you the next step of your calling, with no map or end in sight. You are expected to take the first step of faith; then God provides the following step or action. You can't jump to the next step without taking the first step. You likely will take the first step of your calling with doubt; yet inwardly you will experience peace and serenity as you take your first step in faith.
Conclusion:
God directs you to your spiritual calling through the ordinary circumstances of your life versus the extraordinary or supernatural. Often, you will miss your calling’s quiet stir of your heart because of looking for the burning bush or an angelic proclamation from heaven. Instead, like Esther, God desires to speak to you through the ordinary circumstances of your life.
As God reveals a need to you; the spirit will provide a vision of how you can meet that need through creative contributions, building community, and stewardship. God will provide you with a vision of how to serve; however, the vision will only include the first step. There is no road map; only the call to serve and the revelation of your next step. As you take that step, it will reveal the path of your spiritual calling within the ordinary circumstances of your life. You must serve God in the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary!
By: Heath B. Walters, Ph.D.
Copyright November 24th, 2022, Heath B. Walters, DBA Spiritual Life Resources, All Rights Reserved