Why am I on earth? What is the purpose of my existence?
We are all created by God for His purposes. This is referred to as our calling. Our mission. Our assignment from God for our life.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians
2:10 NIV
What can my life’s calling or mission be? All of us have, firstly, a general and, secondly, a specific calling on our lives.
Our general calling is applicable to all of us equally. To love God, ourselves and our neighbours.
Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39 CEV
Our specific or personal calling combines our own talents, passions, highest values and the context we live in to serve God’s Kingdom best. You were made to have a unique combination of these elements. There is no other person like you. Some people have very special talents, but most of us are not so special in terms of any particular talent we have. Rather, we are special in terms of the unique combination of the talents and personality we possess, and the specific context we are placed in. You are, therefore, uniquely suited for your God-given mission!
When you engage in work that taps your talent and fuels your passion – that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet – therein lies your voice, your calling, your soul’s code.
Stephen Covey
Your calling or life-mission becomes the driver in your life. All decisions you take can be measured against it. It does not imply that you become a rigid, single-track minded person. But when you have to make important decisions, you can judge if the decision will take you closer or further away from what God has in mind for you. Your life-mission will have an influence on all the spheres of life that you are involved in – your job, your relationships, your finances and so on.
My own life-mission is “Leading everyone in my influence-sphere to life-fulfilment”. It is my guiding light in life. Although you may think that these words were given to me at birth by my mother or pastor, in reality, I have only been able to put this into words when I was 46 years old. Some people will be able to do this earlier, others later – it takes time, lots of prayer and guidance. During this time of personal discovery, you will come to know yourself and learn to be yourself and learn to love yourself. It is a learning process. You will find ways to apply who you really are at the core, to all areas of life you are involved in. Take note that you are not made to live someone else’s calling, you are here to live your own unique calling (which can be combined with the callings of others to form a strong team). Some articles will follow later to describe this process of discovering your calling in more detail.
Know thyself, be thyself, love thyself
Ancient Greek proverb
By knowing and living your calling, not only will you be able to love yourself more, but you will be able to love others better through your life of purpose and dedication.
I am amazed by what God can do when we believe his calling and take the first steps in faith.
Lloyd Reeb
More quotes
I can choose to live the second half of my life confined to what I think is safe, without exploring and pursuing what I was created to do – and risk missing out on the incredible opportunity of partnering with God in what he is doing in this world. Or I can take a deep breath, kick the ball with all my might, and launch into the greatest adventure of life.
Lloyd Reeb
Choosing to pursue God’s calling on your life is going to entail financial risk. Remember, God is not opposed to your being rich. He is, however, opposed to our pursuing money either as an attempt to become self-sufficient or to find the fulfilment that he knows can come only from living the life he means us to live.
Lloyd Reeb
I have come to realise that financial security is a myth. The only real security is found in following what God has in mind for your life. Assets can vanish overnight. Health can disappear and with it our earning capabilities. Inheritances may get gobbled up in nursing care for our parents.
Lloyd Reeb
In other words, identifying your highest values is your first step on the road to self-knowledge, self-love, and fulfillment of your life’s purpose.
John Demartini
This is a world in which people had better be doing whatever they do best, whatever they are really motivated to do, whatever most suits them temperamentally, and whatever makes best use of such assets as they happen to have. In this marketplace, organizations pay for results.
William Bridges
To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.
Winston Churchill
In the dejobbed world, the truth that each of us has an inherent life work is suddenly rich with meaning. Nothing less than finding what you were meant to be and do will give you the motivation and the capability that today’s work world demands. Identifying your lifework is no longer an escapist fantasy. It is a condition for being successful. You now have to discover your lifework if you are to have a chance of creating a satisfactory and satisfying work life.
William Bridges
