Serious Servant of God
How do we discern God's mission and purpose for us?
Do you struggle to identify your purpose?
Do you feel tangled in a sticky web while serving? (Maybe just filling a need, but not what God is calling you to.)
Are you unsure whether you should continue where you currently serve? Is God calling you to something new?
Do you feel hesitant to start something new? What is holding you back?
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21 NIV)
Discontentment and struggle to discern could be a call to clean house!
What house cleaning do you need to do to ensure your servant's heart is where God intended?
Prayer for God’s plan becomes a channel of the Holy Spirit. It links His will to what needs to be achieved on earth. You have the privilege of being part of the channel through which amazing things can happen.
How will I know?
How do I get there?
What do I need to do?
PURPOSE VS. MISSION
PURPOSE
The Holy Spirit reveals your purpose by helping you discern what you are being called to do. For example, you see a person on the side of the road with a flat tire, or someone with their hands full walking toward a door. Do you drive by, or do you stop and watch them struggle with their obstacle? What do you feel compelled to do? Why do you feel that way? Where does that instinct come from?
MISSION
Scripture can direct your moral compass toward your purposeful mission. And life experiences or role models can shape your decision on how you will act or not. The mission is acting toward the purpose placed before you. You can walk on by and miss the opportunity, or the Holy Spirit may be nudging you to pull over and help, or to walk faster to open the door before they get there. These are two simple, common things you might come across. How much discernment does it take to show generosity, kindness, and love toward taking action? Most of the time, the answer to our purpose is right in front of us, and we miss it or ignore it.
Hesitating to clean out the house of your heart and mind may be what's blocking you from recognizing God’s purposeful mission call for you.
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:23-24 NIV)
Consider exploring these areas of reflection:
1. Penitence to Purpose
2. Potential in the “No”
3. Serving yourself or God?
4. Wisdom in Waywardness
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)
Consider exploring these areas of reflection:
1. Penitence to Purpose
When sin or other activities/idols in our lives don't produce fruit, they can block us from seeing forward because they stand in the way of God’s light. Removing those obstacles and what we hide behind can open doors, allow in God’s light, and help us recognize our purpose in God’s mission field.
What do you need to confess or change in your life that stands in the way of you walking through that door? (Gossip, silent judgment, pride, TV bingeing, social media scrolling, vaping, smoking, pornography, envy, discussing personal feelings or connecting with someone of the opposite gender while you are in a relationship with someone else, procrastination, sarcasm, negative self-talk, ignoring the needy, working on personal things while on the clock at work, holding anger, bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness towards another, hurting someone emotionally or physically on purpose, etc.)
2. Potential in the “No”
God’s servants can do amazing things in the mission field if he calls them to that purpose. When you don’t feel the Holy Spirit lighting your feet on fire, or an absolute affirmation that this is what you are being called to, your “Yes” can have negative potential, such as spending more time volunteering to fill the need than in areas God is pointing you to, being unable to say “no” when asked, people-pleasing, not wanting to have others feel disappointed or let down. These are the types of things that can push us away from God’s purpose for us into a category that doesn't fulfill the intended mission field.
What do you need to say “no” to? These sticky situations lead to resentment, boredom, feeling overwhelmed, and a lack of fulfillment. Why did you say “yes” to the last thing you volunteered for? Were you asked, or did you volunteer yourself to fill a need? Are you feeling resentful or overwhelmed in an area you are serving? Is your heart in the right place for the call? Is the place you serve or volunteer causing more stress than fulfillment in God’s mission field? Why do you think that is? Have you prayed and waited for God’s answer?
3. Serving yourself or God?
We all want to feel needed and worthy of a call. Sometimes, though, we may accept or choose an area of service because our need to feel needed matters more than the task or mission. We can recognize a purpose that isn't God’s choosing when our excitement begins to fizzle, our feel-good attitude slowly fades, we're no longer 100% in it, and we begin to complain about the commitment.
Have you prayed about whether and why you should do it? Do you feel gravitated for the right reasons? Have you sought advice from a trusted friend? Have you been honest with the passions and gifts God has revealed to you? Is this pointing in that direction? You could test the call and say yes, communicating that it is temporary, to make sure it is a good fit and to discern whether this is what God is calling you to in life right now.
4. Wisdom in Waywardness
Serving in a capacity we feel God is calling us to may involve facing fears or uncomfortable situations for the kingdom of God and may bring hesitation. Contemplating whether we have the skills, strength, and knowledge for certain calls can also bring doubt about our perceived weaknesses. We can often fail to lean on God in times and shy away from accepting the invitation to the mission.
How can you find clarity and depend on the wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit in times like these? Taking steps to discern God’s mission involves prayer, faith, guidance from friends of faith, and personal reflection to understand your capabilities and God's power. How do you discern God’s power to make what you think impossible possible? God’s intent may be to transform you. He doesn’t call us to comfortable and easy tasks. We are called to look to God as he continues to grow and stretch us toward a purpose. What may God be trying to reveal to us? What is holding you back? Why do you hesitate? Ask God to help you in these areas.
Prayer
Father in heaven,
You created me for a purpose. Your Son died for me; help me complete his mission work. Your Spirit helps me to know what I need to do to carry out your mission. May my thoughts and insight come from you and be directed in a way that brings you all the glory. Reveal to me anything I need to clear out of my heart so I can recognize your invitation. Bring to my attention anything I need to say no to, and the places I need to answer yes. Instill your Spirit’s wisdom so I may move forward on the path which you have chosen for me. Amen.
Adapted from Sessions 3 and 4 of “True Reflection” Bible Study.
To learn more about this topic, purchase “TRUE REFLECTION: Focusing on Your Precious Identity with Purpose,” a women’s Bible Study.
