Does your life ever feel a little bit small? It’s a good life and your grateful, it’s just not quite what you expected. In general, you are happy. Life is just a little less glamorous and a little more ordinary than you thought it would be. You know you felt the Holy Spirit’s insistent tugging on your heart. You knew that God was calling you to rise up and step into something, but you just weren’t sure what it was. You knew one thing for certain though, it felt BIG.
When You Thought Your Life Would be Grand But it Feels Pretty Small
Many of us have felt that way. We want to be right in the center of God’s will for our life. We want to follow the path He has carefully laid out for us and use the unique set of gifts and talents that He has given us, but most of us aren’t missionaries, women’s ministry leaders, authors, speakers, activists, or philanthropist. We are moms, dads, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, and employees. We love those titles, but we look at them and sometimes we wonder if that’s all that we are ever going to be. They feel a little insignificant because we felt destined for GRAND.
Friend, can I go out on a limb and say something right now? I think sometimes our idea of God’s calling on our lives is a little off. I’m not saying that is the case for everyone. Personally, I know the way I’m serving God right now, in this phase of life, is crazy different from any way that I thought I would be serving Him. I’m guessing that is the case for some other people too. After all, God’s ways are vastly different that our ways, right? Just maybe God’s calling on our lives doesn’t always have to look like the grand and elaborate plan we had envisioned for ourselves. In fact, you could be like me and your calling could be totally different than the one you had imagined.
Bear with me because I think I’m onto something here.
I Want an Esther Moment
One of my favorite books in all of the Bible is Esther. She has the perfect rags to riches story. Esther went from a poor, orphan girl living with her uncle to the Queen of a powerful kingdom. God calls her out of obscurity into a place where she has the opportunity to rescue God’s chosen people from genocide. This story is powerful and beautiful. My favorite verse in this story is Esther 4:13-14 and it comes about When Esther is waffling between hiding her identity and going before the king to save her people. Her Uncle Mordecai says, “…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
When I get to this part of the story, I want to stand up and cheer for Esther! Truth be told, the selfish, fleshy part of me wants my calling to look like that too. I want an Esther moment. I want God to call me into something that is bold and powerful and beautiful and meaningful. I want to make a difference for Him because I love Him so desperately. I want to be a rags to riches story that speaks of His abundant grace and mercy and love the way the story of the Jewish people does. Not only that, but I want to feel like I’m bringing something valuable to the world. That might seem a little selfish, but I think that we all want to be known and valued.
Maybe you are an Esther and that is exactly how your life your calling looks. If so, walk it out! Shine brightly and light up the world for God and give Him the honor and glory every step of the way. However, we aren’t all called to be Esthers. Sometimes our callings and our lives are a little less grand.
One of Satan’s Biggest Lies that We Fall for Every Time
Maybe that is the phase of life that you are in right now. Maybe your life feels a little small. Maybe you feel a little unimportant and a little unrecognized. Maybe you feel so entrenched in the mundane tasks of the everyday that you’ve bought the lie that what you’re doing isn’t grand.
In this great big world with its great big, impressive people, it is easy to lose sight of who we are, whose we are, and what we are called to do. I’ve talked to so many people who wonder what kind of a difference they are making. They feel helpless to impact the Kingdom of God because they are too busy in the day to day grind to “do something” for God. They are disheartened because they don’t feel like they are making an impact.
This is one of the biggest lies of the enemy that we fall prey to. And it makes me so angry because believing this lie is discouraging the heart of many amazing people who just where they are supposed to be and doing just what they were called to do.
Now that’s not all of us, so don’t get too cozy. You know good and well if you are way out of line with what God has for you. If that’s the case, sweet friend, then do some thinking and praying. Maybe you even need to seek the counsel of a wise, Godly friend, preacher, or mentor to give you some perspective. If you know things are out of whack, those are some great resources to help you to start getting things moving in the right direction.
However, if you are pretty sure where you are suppose to be and you are pretty sure you are doing what God is calling you to in this season of life, but it just doesn’t feel the way you think it should; listen closely.
Are you listening?
How to Start Seeing Your Calling as Grand
Sometimes God’s calling IS TO THE EVERY DAY TASKS. Sometimes we are supposed to be just obeying Him and honoring Him in each and every decision that we make each and every day. It doesn’t seem like the grand plan we envisioned, but it is important to the Kingdom.
Mamas and Daddies, you are right smack in the middle of your calling. Being a Godly parent is such a high calling. Pray over those kiddos and bring them up to love and serve the Lord. Keep in mind that you are raising little people who will follow your example to love God and love others. If bringing up those little sweeties isn’t a grand calling by God, I don’t know what is.
Sister, Brother, Daughter, Son, Friend, Grandparent, and Employee, you have the opportunity every single day to shine a light for Jesus and point others to him with your words and your actions. Walk in love. Care for others. Be different. Be salt and light. You are living out your calling by influencing the world for God in those little every day task that you do with exceptional love.
Get involved in your local church and find ways to serve there. Look for ways to be His hands and feet in your community. You are showing His mercy and grace by the way you live your life and interact with people. You are his witness in this world and that is definitely a high calling.
Don’t be deceived; we don’t have to be doing something that looks great big and grand. Our Heavenly father sees each act of love that we perform as steps in walking out our calling. Let’s all take a good, long look at our life and search out those opportunities that we have each and every day to honor Him in the place that He has put us, with the people he has so graciously placed in our lives. That, dear friends, is a grand plan.
Love and Blessings,
Bobbie