You Are Called: Being On Purpose in Life & Work

[NOTE: I will be speaking on this topic at the Business For Life Conference in Toronto, Canada on April 23rd, 2015. For further information see: http://hannastrategy.com/blc2015/. Further, there are many aspects of the issue of calling which won’t be covered in a short blog; they have been discussed in my recent book (Entrepreneurial Leadership: Finding Your Calling, Making A Difference, IVP, 2013) and in other writings.]

 In the Old Testament Israel was the “chosen people”; in the New Testament all believers are the “called people.” You are one of the called. Each person is called by God to a unique and specific task that should form the compass of their existence, provide a sense of meaning and lead to being on purpose in both life and work.

 We sometimes hear the term that a person did something “on purpose”—in other words, with clear intent and to achieve a certain outcome. For the called, every action should flow intentionally. You are to be a steward of your opportunities within the bookends of your life. The anchor, the central feature of any Christian, should be their clear sense of calling.  

 A clear sense of calling is like a personal vision and mission statement: what am I aspiring to and how will I get there? Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges in Lead Like Jesus, note that “Purpose is bigger than any achievement. Your personal purpose is your calling—the reason you were created.” Lack of clarity will lead to diminished effectiveness and impact.

 What is calling? There are two aspects of calling, First, there is the general call of all Christians to follow the dictates of Christ, biblical principles and a life worthy of the calling. As Paul notes in 2 Tim 1:9” “He has saved us and called us to a holy life…” Second, there is the specific and personal call of each Christian. We have each been uniquely and specifically called based on various factors. What is your gifting? God does not call that to which we are not suited. What is your temperament? God does not call people who do not have the proper disposition.

 A clear understanding of this two-fold call is vital to an individual understanding their meaning in life. Each person has been gifted in a particular way and this is typically tied into their passion. They truly gifted are genuinely passionate, whether they are a musician or are a high tech entrepreneur.

 Called people engage in purposeful activity. The Bible notes that when we are running the race set before us we can then lay aside distractions from various “weights” to “sin which so easily ensnares us.” (Heb 12:1). People who are not clear on their calling do not spend their time wisely. They spend their time on urgent and unimportant items; by contrast, those clear on their calling spend their time on non-urgent and important items.

 How does work fit into calling? Work, which typically occupies much of people’s time and bandwidth, is not your calling. Your two-fold calling is the box within which work fits. Your general call provides a broad framework of the responsibilities of every Christian. Your specific call ties into your specific activities, of which work is a large portion but not the dominant portion.

 The bottom line, however, is that every Christian needs to have a clear understanding of calling—and be living it on a daily basis—in order to reach their God-given potential. The goal of every believer should be “to walk worthy of the calling” to which they have been called.” (Eph 4:1-6). We don’t want to be like King Jehoram, who reigned for eight years, and “to no one’s sorrow, departed.” (2 Chronicles 21:20).

 With clear focus, much can be accomplished. DL Moody said on calling that, “The world has yet to see what a man fully consecrated to God can do. I aim to be that man.” He certainly lived on purpose. By being on purpose each individual can faithfully steward the opportunities of their lives.