The Lord will often use imperfect people for his purpose to be carried out. There are many imperfect people in the Bible who felt unworthy and inadequate to have a calling placed on them by God, yet they did great things for his purpose.  We are no different than these people, we only live at a different time, which is fast-paced and holds more distractions than what people in the Bible experienced.  We often use our distractions as an excuse as to why we can’t do the calling placed on us. So today I show you the difference between a calling and work.

Work is something we do to survive, living in a world that functions off of a monetary system. We work for pay as money is used for an exchange. We buy and sell. We keep tabs on the hours we work and when we are off the clock.  We work hard to live but some of us have made the mistake of “living to work” instead of “working to live”. Big difference between the two, as those of you who live to work, are missing out on what it truly means to live.

A calling is something we feel strongly that we were meant to do. Sometimes we are not sure what it is that we are meant to do,  but we have an idea. We do know it is bigger than ourselves. It is something we are willing to do even if we receive no compensation or may need to use our own out of pocket money to continue. It may feel uncomfortable and we may have to step out of our comfort zone many times or even feel inconvenienced at times. It may require living a different lifestyle than what we are used too and maybe even relocating a time or two.

Both a calling and work require commitment and consistency. One receives monetary pay while the other may never receive any compensation. One requires complete surrender, the other requires showing up and completing tasks. Both can be fulfilling but also can be grueling at times.

There are many people who feel a calling on them. They may be unsure exactly what it is they are being called to do, yet they hold a surety within them,  that they are meant to be different than who they have become.  A calling is a feeling so strong that those who are called just know they were called. (You tend to have a strong feeling it was for you to do something, even though you may hold no desire of your own for what you were called for.)  What is wonderful is when you are called,  you don’t hold the need of getting confirmation from those around you, because you already hold confirmation from the Lord that you were chosen for the specific job placed upon you.  This is not to say, that you will fully understand why he specifically chose you because I believe we all question that one for ourselves. If you do feel the need to get confirmation from others when you already got confirmation from the Lord, remind yourself the devil is throwing arrows of doubt, fear, second-guessing and insecurities your way,  in an attempt to get you not to accept your calling.  The devil doesn’t want us accepting our calling from the Lord, he wants to reroute our thinking into feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy.  Did you know that Jeremiah had a calling placed on him while still in his mother’s womb?  Jeremiah 1:4-5 “Then the word of the Lord came unto me saying 5) “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou comest out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee to a prophet unto the nations.”

If you are serious about accepting your calling, then you must seek out what your calling is.  If you already know, then you must walk on faith whether you understand all the twists and turns you will encounter along the way or not. Don’t expect to have people agree with your calling, because there are people who will try to prevent you from completing what you were chosen to do, simply because they don’t agree with it. Not everybody will appreciate what you are doing and may hold harsh words to discourage you. (Don’t concern yourself with what these people think but rather concern yourself with what God thinks of you.)  Remember to stay in prayer while removing sin daily, as Psalms 66:18 is our reminder if we hold iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us. Iniquity is a willful sin.

In order to accept your calling and carry it out properly, you must stay in close communication with the Lord.  He will give you the instructions and next steps to take as well as the protection needed to endure the journey before you. You can’t do this journey on your own strength;  but with a willing and obedient heart, the Lord can work through you and give you the capability needed for the task you were chosen for. ( Proverbs 20:5) I leave you with one last reminder. Mathew 22:14 reminds us that many are called but few are chosen. (If you were chosen it is because the Lord found an obedient heart, in an imperfect person, he could use for His perfect work.)

Blessings,

Robin Worgull