The Treadmill

"We human beings weren't designed to go around in circles, as on a treadmill. We were made to move toward a purpose. We were made to grow."
- Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington

Yesterday I was thinking about how someone following after Christ in their life can decipher God's call. I think that for many young twenty-somethings, this is a difficult issue. We have just spent thousands of dollars on an education that is supposed to set us onto a career path for the rest of our lives. That career is supposed to make us feel happy and fulfilled because we were called to do it.

But calling is a loaded word, isn't it?

Let's face it. For most people, there is a disconnect between what they do for a living and what makes them happy. It is a rare gift to find that perfect job, one that integrates it all together. Especially for those of us just entering the workforce. All too often we end up feeling like we're caught on a treadmill, working a dead end job that's leading us straight into a life of discontent. So what are we to think?

What if we could learn to separate the concept of calling from career?

I believe God created us with a defined purpose in mind, and when we are cut off from that life force I think that we feel aimless and stunted. But our true purpose and calling can have little connection with what we "do" by day.

We can be doctors, lawyers, musicians, assistants, mothers, fathers, the list can go on. While those can and certainly should be an outlet for us to fulfill our calling, it is not the same thing as calling in and of itself.

The article Abiding Passion defined calling as such, "God's personal invitation for me to work on His agenda, using the talents I have been given in ways that are eternally significant."

That definition is sort of freeing.

Using my specific giftings and talents to make a difference? That I can do.

That could mean caring for a co-worker whose family is falling apart. Standing up for the injustice of human-trafficking and sex-slavery. Sharing a meal with people you love. And etc.

If we could learn to redefine our definition of calling, perhaps we could do a better job of remembering what is eternally significant. And along the way, I think we might find the kind of joy that brings true fulfillment.


Abiding Passion, by: Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington, published in Catalyst Groupzine Vol:3