It's no secret that God is incredibly deliberate in EVERYTHING including YOU. God specifically calls each and every one of us to do SOMETHING specific. He enables us with gifts and talents to accomplish what He created us to do, BUT there are so many ways we can get distracted and deterred from walking in purpose AUTHENTICALLY. While I can honestly say there are times I am more intentional in walking in purpose than others, here are 4 tips I have to help be most authentic in doing whatever God has called you to do.
Our world is HUGE. There are billions of people to reach for God. What does that mean? There's a seat at the table for all of us. Don't get frustrated because you think the market is over-saturated with people who want to do the same thing as you. Yes- the other person may be called to the same field as you, but that doesn't mean God wants you to reach the same people as He wants them to reach. Obey God instead of being consumed with trying to find where you fit.
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In Kingdom Single by Tony Evans, he explains you discern your personal calling by identifying "what you've learned from past experiences, what skills you have, what your passions are, what keeps you up at night, your personality strengths, and your spiritual gifts. Then consider, where do these all converge?" (Scroll to the end of the post for a spiritual gifts test)
Before you keep reading- take time to make a note based on what you just read.
You must first know your purpose before you can take the steps to fully walk in it.
1. Know your why.
Whatever God wants you to do, you have to be rooted in why you're doing it to stay planted and grounded. If there was no opportunity to get paid for what God called you to do, would you still do it? If not, it might not be something you're truly called to do. Am I saying you can't make money AND walk in purpose? No. You absolutely can, BUT if getting paid or not is the determining factor for what you're doing, it's not purpose.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10)
See your purpose as a seed. You must have deep roots underground, that aren't necessarily seen, before you can ever blossom above ground and have fruit. When you are rooted in your why, it keeps you focused and lessens straying away and being inauthentic. Because I have clarity on what God has told me, I can "stick to the mission." If there is something God has called you to do, write it down, date it, and look at it constantly so you can stay committed to your why.
Last month, I went to Elevation Church efam weekend, and they said a phrase that really stuck with me: "We want to make sure we don't prioritize the methods of what we're doing over the actual mission- which is growing the kingdom of God." Is your MISSION your primary focus or have you become so focused on METHODS? If my mission is using a blog to share my testimony with others, I can't get distracted by marketing and viewership or ways to raise that. You have to ask yourself if what you're doing (method) is truly connected to the mission because you could be, unintentionally, losing sight of your mission.
There is SO much to do thanks to technology + social media. On top of that, forums that once required a middle man to get into like publishing books and other content, can all be done by watching a YT video. I've taught myself how to do graphic design, website creation, audio engineering, etc. all within the last 3 months. Because of this ease of accomplishing so many things, I'm easily distracted.
If you can be rooted and anchored in your why, you can use discernment to ask, "Is doing _____ truly aligned with my purpose or is it an added distraction?"
2. Be discerning regarding what you expose yourself to.
Oftentimes we are consuming so much media that we don't even realize we are comparing ourselves to someone else. There are things God has called me to do YEARS ago that I have yet to do because I've convinced myself that my abilities aren't as good as someone I saw on social media. For this reason, I'm having to be more discerning in seasons where I'm working on a project has called me to because I'm more vulnerable. To restrain us from fulfilling the God-given mission we have, the devil will often attack and distract by sowing seeds of doubt and comparison to make you feel you're not doing it right. This is what will push us to either give up OR starting walking inauthentically because we will make adjustments to accommodate our doubts or inadequacies instead of being God-led and God-empowered in our calling.
I also have to discern who I talk to about what God has called me to do when I'm in the states of vulnerability. When I want to delete my book manuscript or blog post because I think it's trash, despite God having given me an idea, I can't admit that feeling to just anyone. I have friends who I specifically go to for accountability based on certain areas I'm working on. Who do you have to hold you up when you're fighting internal battles that could lead to you being inauthentic in fulfilling your purpose?
Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
3. Reflect and revise.
God created the world in 6 days, and on day 7, He stopped and rested- not because He was tired (God is a spirit. He doesn't get tired like we do as humans), but to reflect (Genesis 2:2-3). How are you intentionally reflecting on your alignment with what God has told you to do? Are you making refinements? Where might you need to get back on track? I have to constantly ask God if I've deterred. Sometimes I'm more diligent on creating graphics to market my blog posts on IG than I am actually writing them. I have to ask, "God, am I still sharing based on what you're leading me to speak into the atmosphere through my blog or am I marketing or caught up in site views?"
Make sure you are not using people's views and consumption to guide more than God's voice. God will only bless what He has called and covered you to do. Yes- you can still get likes and views by doing something God didn't call you to do, but is it worth "being in a storm without God as your umbrella?"4. Perfect > perfect.
"Perfect" (verb) meaning to improve or refine, versus "perfect" (adj.) meaning flawless; entirely without defect. The concept of perfecting something (verb) is working to make something the best it can be; it allows you the grace of making progress instead of the pressure of being entirely flawless. There will be seasons where what God has called you to do might be more strongly executed than others, and you have to allow yourself the grace and space to grow. As you work on perfecting your God-given skills, you'll evolve and the journey may get messy on the way.
For me, understanding that the attention span of humans, in general, is decreasing, my blog posts in 2019 take this into account in ways that blogging in 2010 didn't require. I change my methods, when needed, to best ensure I can carry out the mission. I have to ask, "God, should I make this adjustment or am I fine with out?" You have to ask, How can I improve for the sake of those that I'm called to reach or am I just focused on improvement because I'm over-exposed to people in my field that make me want to change?
Sometimes, Christians think that because God is in it, He doesn't expect excellence and perfecting of our calling. I have to remind myself, The people God has called to my blog are people God has called me to teach and shepherd, so I don't want to do it halfway and give them less than God's best. I want my fervor and my work ethic, in purpose of what God has called me to do, is my worship to Him. If God has called me to blogging and given me talents to do it, I'm focused on excellence because He's called me to it and expects that I do it for His kingdom. This is my way of saying "Thank you for this gift" when I submit to His leading to execute what He has gifted me to accomplish.
Ask yourself: How can I improve for the sake of those I'm called to reach?
God had someone specific in mind when He enabled you with your gifts, talents, skills, passions, etc. The focus has to be PEOPLE, not a specific number of people. Don't feel pressured to walk inauthentically because the people depending on your obedience will ultimately miss out. Stay focused on the mission, not the methods. Walk in purpose.
Spiritual Gifts test-
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