Calling

I am reading a book that begins with the basic assumption that God has created us, designed us, and given us a specific purpose in life. The writer uses an old fashioned word to describe this specific purpose. He uses the word "calling."

Each person in Christ is given a specific call in life. If we receive it, we can complete God's vision for our life, achieve greater fulfillment in life, and give God greater glory through our lives. 

There was a time that a call on a person's life was discussed a lot in Christian circles. It fell out of favor, simply because many people would feel a call to this or that, and it never happened. Did people stop thinking about it because it wasn't true? Or because no one really understood the theology of the call? Or because we did not understand or were unwilling to walk through the process of receiving our call?

God needs to position us so that we are able to receive and act on our call. This could involve refining character, learning skills, or undergoing inner healing. It could also involve an unfolding of the call.

A call exists on several levels. There is a purpose, or reason, for what we are doing. There is a vision, or a direction and result. And there is a strategy, or steps of action.

And there is a core identity. It is God who defines who we are. But we have allowed all sorts of things to define us. And so we believe a lie. It is this core identity, God's definition, that is the foundation of any call.