After our discussion on “calling” about a month ago, I talked with Shandel and we came up with some more definitive thoughts.  None of this is great insight from us, but I think gets us closer to how God would have us see our “callings” in this world.  I’d love your thoughts on it as we continue the dialogue and the quest for following and serving Him with our lives. 

First, we all probably use the word “calling” a bit too liberally and people end up thinking it is something that they MUST FIND…so they end up seeking “calling” instead of seeking the Lord.  This we must guard against!! 

Second, I think the Lord does have a “Calling” (capital C calling) for each of us individually that pertains to our vocation and/or our ministry service, but not much else.  In this case, Calling means (this is a loose, not well researched, Heather Flodstrom definition–so don’t put stock in it!) a direction from God to us individually about what we’re supposed to do or how we’re supposed to operate for the Kingdom.  That Calling should encompass at least some of our spiritual gifts, and we should be rockin’ when we’re working/serving in it.  (I continue to have a question about whether this type of Calling can change as we move through life and I’m pretty sure the answer is yes…but it will be interesting to see as life progresses.) 

Third, I know that ALL of us have “callings” (small c callings) and those are spelled out throughout the Bible and are the directives of how we’re supposed to live as Christians, i.e., honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12), love one another (John 13:34), provide for your family (1 Timothy 5:8), spread the gospel (The Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20), honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10), etc.  There are MANY of them and these are things that we are ALL ‘called’ to do as Christians and we must live them out everyday. 

If that all makes sense, then I think the answer to my question about whether we have calling in all areas of our lives is yes–but they’re not capital-C Callings in all areas–some are small-c callings that transcend all areas of our lives.  AND, (a wise piece of wisdom from Shandel) we must make sure that we don’t forgo living out our small-c callings ALL the time in order to live out our capital-C Calling.  Because if we’re not operating on the foundation of being a Christian, then it doesn’t matter if we are doing what God has given us as our individual direction in work/ministry/life.