During the summer of 1996, I figured out what I was going to do with my life. I didn’t realize it at the time, nor did I understand the magnitude of my decisions, but it was during that summer that God made a call on my life and I listened.

Every summer since the 3rd grade I attended Butler Springs Christian Assembly in Hillsboro, OH. BSCA has always held a special place in my heart because that is where so many great spiritual moments happened to me. So, by the time I was going into my senior year of High School, a lot of the stuff of camp had become “old hat.” Every night of every week, we had “vespers” or campfire out in the “chapel of the woods.” I wish I could describe the place to you because it was such an awesome place for the nightly campfire, but by this time even that had become somewhat routine.

But on this night in the summer of ‘96, something would radically change my life (and not to sound melodramatic, but the lives of many others!) Usually, you’d have the call for people to come forward and give their lives to Christ or to rededicate themselves. This happened again this night. But then, I heard something different. The speaker challenged us to come forward if we wanted to dedicate our lives to full time Christian ministry. I’d never heard that before, and I was intrigued. So, while they sang a few songs of decision, I pondered it. I felt like God was telling me to go forward, but at the same time I resisted it. So for what seemed like an eternity (but was probably only a few minutes) I debated the idea of committing my life to ministry. So finally, I said to God, “Ok, fine, if you want me to go forward, have the next song be ‘Step by Step’ and I’ll do it…” I don’t encourage such tests of God, because in my experience God will follow through! The next song was, of course, “Step by Step” and I only shook my head as I went forward and committed my life to full time ministry.

Ever since then, I have had God continue to reinforce, shape, and mold that calling. I know without a doubt that God wants me to minister to youth. Its not always been an easy ride, but its been God’s calling on my life.

Am I unique? Or is the idea of God’s calling limited to ministers, missionaries, and the slightly insane? I think that scripture is pretty clear that God has a calling for all of us in our lives, and it is our mission to figure out what that is and pursue it with our whole being.

The Bible says that each one of us has been created by God. There is only one unique creature that has your particular gifts, talents, abilities, growth environment, experiences, and temperament. Thats been pretty clear to me as a father. My kids come from the same two people, have had the same parents parenting pretty much the same, but have remarkably different personalities. Or take twins. Its funny to watch twins who are identical but still are different in so many ways. We’re each created special! One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:10, which says,

” For we are God’s workmanship (“valuable masterpiece”), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”   – Ephesians 2:10

So do you know what your calling is? Do you know why God created you the way He did, and how He wants you to use your gifts? I can’t answer that for you, but my suspicion is that you at least have an inkling. I’ve talked to many people who say they have no clue what God has created them for, but as I talk with them I can see that they know what it is but they’re afraid to take that leap. Maybe its fear to have to give up a nice paying job and comfortable life. Maybe its because they don’t know how to do it. Or maybe its just because they’d feel stupid doing it. I know the feeling! I was going to be an aerospace engineer, which pays a lot more than youth minister (literally, I was going to be a rocket scientist…) So if you know, and you’re not doing it, perhaps you should really sit down and figure out how to follow that calling.

If you truly don’t know, there are ways to figure it out. God doesn’t put a call on your life then forget to tell you! So, first of all, ask for God to reveal that to you. Next, look at your life – your experiences, your talents, and your spiritual gifts. What do those things add up to? Also look at your passions. If you love music, God might be calling you in that direction. Its like a cake. All the ingredients add up to something special. If you haven’t figured it out yet, maybe God isn’t done with the ingredients and hasn’t finished “baking you” yet. But, you can at least see the direction God is point you in.

God called me to be a youth minister. He probably isn’t calling you to be one, or a preacher, or a missionary to Africa (although He might be!) But God does have a calling for your life that will give you a Holy Purpose, further His Kingdom, and change lives. Listen to God, and see where He is calling you to. I can promise you that while it won’t always be comfortable, easy, or even sane, it will be the best thing for your life.