Let Your Life Speak
by Karla Temple, Assistant Director of Music
Darren’s recent messages about letting our lives speak, and about finding our purpose and calling, have me thinking a lot about what the call of God looks like in our lives.
We are all equipped with God-given gifts that will be used for His purposes as we follow Jesus. How will we find a place for these gifts? How will we know where they fit in our daily lives, in our community, and in our world?
I have learned, and am still learning, that calling looks so different in every person‘s life. This calling also may not look the way we had anticipated! It can seem so clear and easy for some people, and for others, a calling may evolve over time, as they grow and change. Sometimes we view our calling as our entire life purpose. However, our sense of calling and purpose can also be found in the small, daily moments: following those gentle nudges we may feel, taking a few moments to brighten someone’s day, or taking the time to be an encouragement to someone who may need it. Although the specifics look different in all of our lives, each are called to be followers of Christ and to be about his purposes for us daily. The apostle Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. PHILLIPIANS 3:14
During my senior year of high school, as I was thinking about the future, all I wanted was to know God’s will for my life. I remember asking mentors and leaders at my church how to know God’s will for my life. It was the burning question to which I wanted an immediate answer!
Over the course of several years, I realized that I was not going to receive a letter from heaven, or see a vision, or hear the voice of God clearly mapping out my entire life. I realized that I should be seeking the Lord each day, paying attention to his nudging in my spirit, and taking the next step that I felt led to take. If I was presented with a choice or opportunity, many times I prayerfully considered it, and then walked through the next open door that the Lord provided. Thankfully, this led me to St. Paul, where my calling has continued to unfold over the course of roughly 20 years. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I hope and pray that I will be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as my call continues to unfold.
When I reflect on my journey to discover my calling, I am reminded of the words from the song Jesus Calls Us:
“Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild restless sea; day by day his voice still calls us saying, ‘Christian, follow me.’ Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, ‘Christian, love me more.’ In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, Jesus calls, in cares and pleasures, ‘Christian, love me more than these.’”
So I leave you with this thought and challenge: to seek God’s call daily, in the little things as well as the big things. Let’s press on toward the goal together as we seek to follow Christ!