5 Questions to Help You Find Your Calling

The following piece was written for the What's Your Calling blog tour.

When Jeneen Robinson sat before the AME Church's Board of Examiners in the PBS documentary miniseries, The Calling, she was asked a "vocational discernment question":

What is God trying to do with you, and through you, in ministry?"

Jeneen replied:

"I don't know what's ahead.  I just know that I have to preach.  I'm compelled to preach the Gospel.  I can't rest unless I'm preaching and teaching and pouring out to God's people.  It's like an itch.  I gotta preach."

Jeneen's answer sums up, for me, one of the ways you can find your calling: identify what you just have to do. You might do it is as part of your job, as a volunteer, or as a hobby.  It might be a private act, or a public one.  The form it takes may change over time, but what remains true is that you must do it.

For example, what thread runs through your answers to these questions?

1. I just know that I have to __________________________.
2. I'm compelled to _________________________________.
3. I can't rest unless I'm ______________________________.
4. _____________________________________ is like an itch.
5. I gotta __________________________________________.

If you get stuck responding to the prompts, try writing out your answers quickly (no editing!).  If writing isn't your thing, have a friend ask you the questions, and tell her the answers.  Or, ask yourself the questions before you go to sleep, and write down your responses first thing in the morning.

Here are my answers:

1. I just know that I have to help people find and express their calling.
2. I'm compelled to share resources, advice and inspiring stories to help people find and express their calling.
3. I can't rest unless I'm teaching and guiding people to find and express their calling.
4. Sharing advice, resources and inspiring stories to help people find and express their calling is like an itch.
5. I gotta help people find and express their calling.

I'd love it if you shared your answers to the five questions in the comments of this post, on my Facebook Page, on the What's Your Calling Facebook Page, and/or on Twitter (@bbravo and @whatsURcalling).

You can follow the blog tour on the What’s Your Calling? Facebook Page, and if you subscribe to the blog tour by email, you'll be entered for a chance to win a Calling Dream Kit: $200 Amazon gift credit to buy supplies to pursue your calling, an hour of coaching to help plan your project, a DVD and poster of The Calling, and the chance to share your calling with the community at whatsyourcalling.org. 

You can view The Calling on Netflix and iTunes.

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