30Thrive

This post is part 2 of knowing God’s calling for your life.  Previously I mentioned there are 3 aspects to calling:  WHAT, WHERE, AND HOW.  The WHAT aspect of calling is that all believers are commissioned to share the good news of Christ with the lost.  If you’re not on board with this part, the WHERE and the HOW aren’t going to matter much.  

The WHERE has to do with your current location in life.  If you are a working mom, then you are called to share the love of Christ at home and at work because that is where you are.  If you are a student then those in your classes and in your dorm are your WHERE.  Stay at home moms have their family and possibly neighbors or other moms they know from car pools, play dates, soccer practices, etc.  Randy Pope, a pastor in Atlanta, says “where you live, work, and play” is where we live out our calling.

So think about that for a second.  Where do you live?  Are you sharing a roof with anyone who is not a believer in Christ?  Do you have neighbors who need to hear the gospel?  Where do you work or go to school or volunteer?  Are there unbelievers there you could reach out to? And where do you play…the mall, the gym, the spa?  Whose paths do you cross on a regular basis that need to hear about Christ?  

The WHERE aspect is definitely a variable.  It changes for all of us.  There are natural changes because of school, work, or having a child, but sometimes God prompts us to pick up and go for no other reason than taking the gospel to a new place.  My WHERE has changed 6 times since I’ve been married, 5 times because of work related moves and once when I became a mom.   Each change opened the door to new relationships and new opportunities to share Christ. 

Being clear that the WHAT of our calling is always the point and the meaning behind each of our WHERE’s is key to a fulfilling life.  I’m sure we’ve all been in a location that we didn’t love...a city, school, or job that was drudgery.  But if you see your current placement as a divine appointment to accomplish the highest mission, it suddenly takes on a new look.  Feeling useful and productive are great solutions for boredom and discontentment!

I’m pretty sure I would go crazy staying home if I didn’t see the spiritual calling behind my full time mom job.  I literally feel the significance of each moment of teaching, loving, and caring for my children that it satisfies my naturally driven self.  We even only have one car right now but I don’t mind because there is no where I’d rather be than with my family and neighbors.  This is a testimony to God’s grace that He is willing to put feeble men and women in such eternally significant roles!  I LOVE my place in His kingdom!  And I know that when my kids are grown or if we relocate again, my new placement will be just as fulfilling because my overarching calling is always the same.  We truly can bloom where we're planted, no matter where that is.