How do you discover your calling? You simply pay attention, listen and remember when someone asks for your help, literally calling for your gifts to be exercised.
My kids ask, “When is dinner ready?” That reveals my calling to feed my kids. Taking care of the basic necessities of life for me and my dependents is my calling.
When friends ask, “Can you please help …?” that could be a recognition of some gift that is being called into service; or it could be that you are available. Ask yourself, “Can someone else do this, perhaps better than me?” If the answer is yes, you may have been asked because the other person is not available.
Sometimes you notice an unmet need. No one else seems to see it or care about it. So even though you may not be particularly gifted in that area, you decide to do something about it. That too reveals a calling, one that comes from within.
Here are some other questions and comments behind which a calling may hide:
- Could you please consider serving in/as…?
- We need a … and we think you are the best person.
- You are a good … Perhaps you can join us in …
- Have you ever tried … I think you will be good at it.
- What do you do for a living? You strike me as a …
- You should get certified as a … You are a natural at it.
List you callings. Start with the most mundane ones. Include those you don’t feel gifted in. Then be on the lookout for questions and comments that may reveal hidden callings.