The fall season is upon us! For many of us September is a month of change as we say goodbye to our summer routines and get ready for the fall. For all of us, September is a great time to reassess where we are, and thinking about God’s calling is a natural part of that.
One person we can learn much about calling from is Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah is a first person account of Nehemiah’s work on behalf of Jerusalem. To give a short overview of the story, Nehemiah, who is living in Susa, hears from his brother and others that Jerusalem is not doing well – its walls are in ruins. Nehemiah is deeply pained in learning this, as he is a Jew whose homeland is Jerusalem. Nehemiah is a high official in the king’s court, and he is able to get the king’s blessing to go and be the governor of Judah and Jerusalem, and rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.
The Jewish people begin earnestly rebuilding the wall, even working through violent opposition. As the wall is nearly finished, Nehemiah also learns that some Jewish officials have been treating their Jewish brothers and sisters unfairly. These officials were charging interest and asking for unfair payments to the point where people had to sell their belongings and hire their children out as slaves. Nehemiah admonishes the people firmly and makes them return belongings that were taken and interest that was charged. The wall ends up being built in 52 days.
I think there are a few ideas about calling that we can draw from the life of Nehemiah. First, Nehemiah shows us that calling is not only for people who are called to full-time ministry. Rather, many of us will have callings like Nehemiah–to work for the better of others, with much of this work happening outside the church. Nehemiah was an amazing administrator who accomplished much for the people Jerusalem, and God calls many of us to similar kinds of work.
Second, calling is always for the sake of others, not just to benefit ourselves. Often when people talk about calling, it is mostly about their own fulfillment, or self-realization, or sense of identity. But calling is not primarily designed to serve us, but serve others. Our call is to love God and love others, which is not a self-centered call but one that focuses our eyes on God and those around us.
Third, calling is something that flourishes. Like a bud that flourishes into a flower, calling is something that starts as a bud within us, then grows as we grow. Our calling grows as we grow in God. In order to move forward in our calling, we need to move forward and grow with God. Part of the reason that growth in our calling and growth with God go hand in hand is because to grow in God is to grow as a person. As we grow in God, we also grow in character, grow in our capabilities, grow in responsibility, and a whole host of important things. We grow into our calling. Our calling is not simply out there waiting for us, but it is something that we need to walk out with Jesus.
Fourth, calling is much like wayfinding. Wayfinding is about getting our bearings and finding a route forward from where we currently are to where we want to be. When it comes to calling, God doesn’t normally reveal the full plan of what’s ahead. Rather, we need to navigate our way forward from where we are currently standing.
One important aspect of wayfinding is realizing that in order to move in the right direction, we need to be facing the right way. We need to be oriented in the correct direction in order to make progress. When it comes time to make a decision in our lives, one of the most important questions is, am I oriented toward God? Is my intention and motivation in this decision aimed toward God? Or is it aimed toward something else? In order to find our calling we need to make sure we’re oriented toward God in our decision making.
Lastly, are there ways that we can contribute to the calling of others? Kingdom parenting is not only about doing what is right, but teaching others to also do what is right. Perhaps we are at a stage in our life where the story of our calling is clear as we’ve lived out our years. In that case, maybe our calling is to contribute to the calling of others. Are there ways that you can share what you’ve learned and teach what you know? Giving a testimony and telling a story from your life can be a great way to teach others from your experience, and contribute to the calling of those around you.
No matter where you are today in your understanding of calling, remember that the most important thing is to be sure that in everything, we are oriented toward God. And through this, may we grow in our calling, and watch the Holy Spirit work in us and through us in amazing ways.