Hi friends! Back in December, my friend Rebecca Dotson asked me to guest post on her blog. I accepted her invite, and did a two-part series on fulfilling your life calling which she published on her site Do The Thing Movement.
If you’re not familiar with Rebecca and her story, she is the Executive Director of 818 Ministries. She founded the ministry after her mother’s cancer diagnosis in 2014. Her “Impact Squad” travels nationwide delivering hope to patients fighting serious illnesses. They gift them with handmade hats and handwritten letters of encouragement donated by hundreds of volunteers.
As 818 Ministries took off, people asked Rebecca to speak into the lives of other entrepreneurs. Many were looking to do their own “thing” but were unsure how to go about it, and looked to her as a role model. She created the Do The Thing Movement as a forum to answer questions and provide support.
It was an honor to write this post for her blog. Rebecca and I share a sincere desire to help people with a message rooted and grounded in Jesus. My post “10 Empowering Secrets to Fulfilling Your Life Calling” will help you with practical suggestions for your journey – entrepreneurial or otherwise. It’s always a good time to look within and figure out how you will go about fulfilling the goals that you’ve set for yourself, and I hope this article will help to put things in perspective.
Here’s to the best you ever! Enjoy the post!
10 Empowering Secrets to Fulfilling Your Life Calling
If ever there was a role model for how to “do the thing”, the apostle Paul comes to mind. He received a calling on his life which caused him to do a complete 180 from life as he knew it.
And this calling of his was hard work. As in you-and-I-can’t-even-imagine-how-hard work. But he persisted in following his calling despite enduring a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7); physical beatings; a stoning; being shipwrecked; long, arduous journeys where he faced dangers from the elements and from robbers; opposition from his own people and from those he was trying to help; sleepless nights; and lack of necessities such as water, food, and warm clothing (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).
Speaking for myself, any of those difficulties would have been a deal-breaker for me.
But Paul knew the secrets to following his calling to the fullest, and lucky for us he didn’t keep them to himself! Here are ten of his empowering secrets to aid us in fulfilling our own life calling:
Distance yourself from toxic people (Titus 3:9-11)
Paul knew when you follow your calling, there will be opposition. People will push back against your message and your methods, and will try to tell you what you should (and should not) be doing. Don’t waste your energy on useless arguments that are unproductive. Although we are to love our neighbors AND our enemies, we have to recognize disruptive people are just distractions and hindrances. We must set healthy boundaries so they don’t interfere with the good we’re trying to do.
There’s no need for fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
Many people will tell you “do it scared”. And do it scared if it means it will get done – because taking action is better than being paralyzed by fear. But realize there’s no need for fear. Paul counseled Timothy to push through whatever fear he was feeling in his new ministry because those in Christ have gifts of divine power and everything else we need to get the job done.
Don’t use greed as motivation (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
God always intended for us to work and knows “the worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). Money itself is not evil. But the love of money – being willing to do anything for it and wanting to keep it for ourselves – is an unhealthy mindset that can hurt us – and our message. Don’t sacrifice your morals for wealth or dishonest gain. Content yourself with what you have and with where you are in your journey. And keep in mind if God blesses you with financial success, He did so for you to bless others.
Have confidence that what you have to share could be a blessing to someone else (1Thessalonians 5:11)
No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “no man is an island”. No one is self-sufficient – we need others. That’s how God created us to be, in community, sharing our gifts for the greater good. There is someone out there who needs to hear your message. Don’t doubt that. Encourage others in their journey and help to build them up – and you will find yourself encouraged.
Don’t be a people-pleaser (Colossians 3:23-24)
Paul knew his calling was not to please, impress, or curry favor with people. You work with diligence to serve the people in your sphere of influence, but the only one you should try to please is the Lord. His is the only opinion that matters.
Remember, it’s not about you (Philippians 2:3-4)
Our focus is to be on those whom we are impacting. We are humbled, remembering He blesses us by allowing us to be a part of His plan.
Keep chasing your goals (Philippians 3:12-14)
Paul understood whether he accomplished something good or made a mistake, forward motion was key. No resting on laurels, no dwelling on past mistakes. He knew we should always aspire to something more even if it’s just to be a better version of ourselves today than we were yesterday.
Prepare yourself for the inevitable difficulties (Philippians 4:11-13)
Paul knew the secret for keeping an even keel no matter his circumstances – namely, that Christ was his strength. He had a centering force that anchored his emotions so they would stay steady. As Ryan Holiday writes in his book The Obstacle Is The Way, “You will come across obstacles in life – fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and time again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure. You will learn that this reaction determines how successful we will be in overcoming – or possibly thriving because of – them.”
Don’t play the comparison game (Galatians 6:3-5)
Many times we fall into the trap of conceit by comparing ourselves to others we judge worse than ourselves. Or we fall into the trap of discouragement when we compare ourselves to others we esteem to be better than us. But measuring ourselves against other people results in an inaccurate measurement. Others are not to be our yardstick.
Give it everything you’ve got (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
The more effort you put in to following your calling, the more of a reward you will reap later. Giving everything you are able with a good attitude will bring abundance your way. Remember this: you cannot out-give God. He can and will supply everything you need always.
These secrets sound simple, but are sometimes easier said than done. But we don’t have to rely on ourselves. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us – and serves as our Helper, Comforter, Guide, and Counselor. He comes alongside and encourages us in our journey as we strive to fulfill our life calling. Praise be to God!
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