What Is Your Calling?

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve,..
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

This verse took me back to the days when I was growing up in my parent’s three-bedroom mansion in Nairobi, for my dad had bought this wooden plaque with this verse inscribed on it.

I remember most homes I walked into back then had the same plaque hanging in their living room wall.

Today, I’m sitting in this two bedroom apartment in Silicon Valley conflicted by thoughts of loneliness and a deep desire to please God. Which makes no sense until I realize how much it truly means to me to understand what my calling is, that I have been willing to give up sensual pleasures, ‘friends’, and family. Being alone, and isolated from any kind of community is the closest I think one can be to living an unfulfilled life. Yet it is the life I am called or forced to thrive in at this time. This is not the first time I have been or felt isolated from others but it is the first time in many years that it has felt like a test. I find myself at a cross-roads and I need to choose today whom I will serve.

Jesus often isolated himself from others to pray. In fact before the beginning of his ministry he was led into the wilderness alone for forty days by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing. Yet the devil could not get him to fall into temptation.

There are times I feel we are called to be alone with God in order to find strength, hope, patience, faith, love, and assurance of lasting community with the Father, son and Holy Spirit. It is in these times we can truly identify with Christ’s suffering. Being affirmed is important to me, so when I’m alone and I choose to read the word of God my heart becomes overwhelmed with love.

I call it love because I don’t know how else to describe it. It is this feeling of wanting to be vulnerable with others in order to share in what God is doing or wants to do.

It’s like a blessing and a curse at the same time, for vulnerability depicts weakness.

Most people would rather not show anyone their weaknesses. They would rather let fear control who they are.

God’s love trumps fear.

Heaven is for real. I sound like I’m preaching but the truth is, this is not something everyone is willing to admit. Sometimes it takes us to be isolated from what is around us for our eyes, ears and hearts to be opened to what we have been called to. Sharing God’s word with others is only the beginning to what our true calling really is.

What is your calling?