Our calling will always be connected to an unmet need or an opportunity to do good. It was in listening to the cries of the Israelites in slavery that Moses discovered his calling. So did William Wilberforce. He devoted his life to seeing slavery eradicated in Britain. Nelson Mandela was a lawyer with the potential to make money. But he chose a different path – one that involved years of imprisonment. And when he was finally set free he didn’t seek revenge, he worked towards gaining justice and equality for his people, and changed his country. Ezekiel writes: ^‘I came to the exiles…And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days - deeply distressed. At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me’ (Ezekiel 3:15-16 NIV). If we want to discover our calling, we need to start praying about situations that trouble us. Usually we try to avoid being in uncomfortable situations, but if we sense that our calling involves helping the poor, we should spend time around those in poverty. We need to allow our hearts to be moved, carry within us the desire to see change, and keep praying, ‘Lord, make me a change agent.’ When Jesus called His disciples, He chose people from different backgrounds: a doctor, a government worker, a group of fishermen. He basically told them, ‘I believe in you. What I know I’ll teach you,’ and promised them that ‘whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing’. Jesus empowered His followers to go out and live like He did. And that’s what He’s calling us to do too.

What now?

Is there an unmet need that really touches your heart? Add it to your prayer list, and pray about it every day. Ask God if there’s something He wants you to do about it.