How to find God's call on your life!

I've had many believers come to me and ask me how they can know God's will for their lives. How can they know their calling ... what is it that God wants them to do with their lives?   They tell me how blessed I am to know my calling (which is writing novels that glorify God). They tell me they've asked God and begged God to lead them into whatever it is He wants them to do, but they never hear anything. They may head off in one direction, thinking that is what God wants, but then it ends or fizzles out and nothing comes of it. So they try something else, all the while begging God for revelation. I know people who, after years of this, have decided they aren't good enough for God to use so they spend their days wallowing in insecurity, feeling sorry for themselves. Others even lose faith that God exists.  Sadly, from what I've seen, most Christians never find their God-given purpose.

The truth is that if you are a believer in Jesus, if you've been called by God and saved by the blood of Christ, then there is something God wants you to do. It could be as simple as being a stay-at-home Mom and raising Godly children (which actually isn't simple at all in this culture and is one of the most important callings!)  to being a missionary to ISIS!  You could actually have multiple calls on your life for different seasons. Maybe you're supposed to witness to people at work and when that's done, God moves you to something else. However I do believe there is one primary call on each of us.  God didn't save you just so you could go to heaven. There's a battle raging around us for the souls of men, and He wants you to get engaged! He has something for you to do, that only you can do with your unique mixture of talents, desires, and skills. And whatever that is, when you find it and walk in it, it will fulfill you beyond what you thought possible. It will be a perfect fit for you and make you excited about your life!

So, how did I find my calling? How did I discover that God wanted me to write novels for Him?

And so, dear brothers and sisters I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.   Romans 12:1-2

Notice Paul is pleading with the Romans here. Plead is a very strong word. It means to beg, to entreat earnestly!  Why is he so adamant about this? I believe it's because so few believers, even in his day, were living to their fullest potential in Christ. And he knew what they were missing!!  
Here are the steps he lists

1. Give your entire body to God
2. Don't copy the behavior of the world
3. Allow God to transform your mind

Then you will know God's will for your life.  Simple eh?
Notice Paul says Body, not soul or spirit. But what does it mean to give our bodies to God? I believe it means to be willing to have God tell us what to eat, what to wear, what to watch on TV or read, where to go, what job to take...etc.   Basically it's becoming God's slave. Yet how many in our self-indulgent society are willing to do that?  

Yet the Scripture indicates that until we do that, God can't begin to transform our minds. We have to completely submit to Him first. Then He has access to change our minds.. the way we think and talk and how we look at things. THEN and only then will we know God's will for us.  (Note that it will be pleasing and perfect!)  

Here's some questions I had to ask myself (and you should too!)

• If God told me to fast for a week from all food, would I do it? (I love to eat!)
• If God told me to not watch my favorite TV show ever again, would I obey?
• What about fasting from TV for a month?
• How about if I had to give up chocolate?  (No! No! Anything but that!)
• What if He asked me to stay up all night and pray? 
• Would I obey if He told me to go witness to the muslins across the street?
• What if He wanted me to go to Africa?
• Give all my savings to the poor? 
• Leave a high-paying easy job for one that is much harder for less pay?

I'm not saying God will ask for these sacrifices. And I'm not talking about doing works to earn His love. I'm simply giving you an illustration of what it means to truly submit our bodies to God. 

Out of time here.. I'll pick this up next Monday with my own story of God revealed to me His plan for my writing.


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