Still Wondering Why You’re Here? (Part 1)
How to Find Clarity in Your Calling and Live With Purpose
Hi Friends! I’m Pastor Chris, and I write Faith Unplugged - A newsletter for those who want to live in a way that honors God. This is a two-part series where we’ll discuss your calling and how to uncover our God-given purpose. Subscribe so you won’t miss a thing. If this article helps you, consider a one-time gift.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I even here?”
I have. More times than I can count.
When I was a kid, people told me I would be a pastor someday. I don’t know what they saw in me, but that idea followed me like a shadow.
Later, I found myself in a growing church of 2,000 people. Full of programs, classes on purpose, even internships. Everyone seemed to have a role. Everyone seemed to know what they were made for.
But me? I was serving. I was showing up. And still, I questioned my purpose.
Maybe you’ve felt it too. You give your Sundays, your prayers, your gifts, and yet there’s still this ache inside… a sense that you were created for something more.
In this article, we’ll unpack what “calling” really means, how you can live it out practically, and how to find clarity when the fog rolls in.
Our Purpose Is Two-Dimensional
Your purpose isn’t simply for the future — it’s for today.
From the beginning, God’s mission is to redeem us. From the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, to the trumpet sound in the last days. He will overcome evil, and those who believe will be caught up in the air to meet our savior and spend eternity with Him.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
1. God’s Glory and Redemption
From the first whisper of creation, God’s heart was set on redemption. From the garden’s fall to the final trumpet sound, His plan has never wavered. Evil will be silenced. The faithful will rise to meet their Savior in the skies. And forever we will dwell with Him in glory.
“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7)
“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:4)
You have a part to play in the masterpiece that God has created. Not because of what you can do, but because of whom you belong.
2. His Purpose for Us
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
You Are God’s Masterpiece
“For we are his workmanship…”
You’re not an accident. God intentionally shaped you with purpose.
You Are Created For Good Works
“…created in Christ Jesus for good works…”
Your life is not just about survival. It’s about contribution.
God Prepared You In Advance
“…which God prepared beforehand…”
The opportunities you step into today aren’t random. They are divinely arranged.
Your Purpose Is Lived Out Daily
“…that we should walk in them.”
Your calling isn’t a distant dream. It’s discovered in the way you live, love, and serve right now.
Your calling is shown in:
The way you treat the person who interrupts you
The small acts of service that no one applauds
The prayers you whisper when no one else hears
The Holy Spirit is shaping you in the present moment.
God doesn’t waste today. He weaves it into His eternal masterpiece.
The Lie I Believed
A few years ago, God revealed something to me that broke me—in the best way.
I grew up hearing mixed messages about ministry. Some denominations value education over gifting. Others value gifting over education. The truth is, you need both if you want to serve people well.
But here’s the problem. Over the years, I was told more than once that I lacked the necessary education and experience to be a pastor. Somewhere along the way—without even realizing it—I started believing that lie. I convinced myself I couldn’t be a spiritual leader outside my own home. There was this mental block that told me I wasn’t qualified to lead anyone else.
The Truth That Set Me Free
Then something shifted. I served under a pastor who valued spiritual leadership over raw ability. And for the first time, the door opened for me to accept a new idea: I don’t need permission to do what God has already called me to do.
That simple truth wrecked me. I realized I had been waiting for others to recognize my giftings before I used them. The problem is, people often overlook what’s right in front of them. And while I was waiting, not only did I miss opportunities, but the people around me missed the encouragement they could have received if I had stepped fully into my calling.
I even preached a message years ago with this title: “You Don’t Need Permission to Do What God Has Called You to Do.”
Looking back, I have to laugh because some people completely misunderstood it. They thought I was saying, “Go operate in gifts you don’t actually have” or “Forget authority.”
Listen, Linda! Not what I meant.
The Calling You Already Carry
Here’s what I meant: You don’t need permission to use what God has already placed inside of you.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
You don’t need a platform or a pastor’s stamp of approval to live out your calling. Will God open doors and bring leadership affirmation along the way? Absolutely. But do you need that right now to be faithful? No.
Your calling is for you to use at home, at work, and at church. You don’t have to wait.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)
If God has given you the gift of teaching, lead a Bible study or write. If He’s given you the gift of encouragement, start with the people in your circle today.
Just don’t wait for someone else to recognize it. Show up. Even if you need to wait for the right moment for a platform, use your gifts now. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
Our Core Purpose
“Live to make the surpassing worth of God in Christ look like what it really is.” —John Piper
Your calling isn’t defined to Sunday mornings or ministry roles. It touches every part of your life.
Work
Your job is more than a paycheck. It’s a place where you can show integrity, kindness, and diligence.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)
Every task (whether leading a meeting or stocking shelves) becomes an offering of worship when done unto Him.
Relationships
Purpose shines in how you treat people. Your words, patience, and presence can either point others to Christ or push them away.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Love isn’t just a feeling — it’s living proof of your calling.
Worship
Worship isn’t only about singing songs on Sunday. It’s about surrender in the ordinary: your time, your habits, even your thoughts.
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)
True worship is the posture of a heart that says, “All of me belongs to You.” When you live this way, purpose is no longer a mystery. Every sphere of life becomes a canvas where God paints His glory through you.
Just discovered you, Chris. I’m a long-time pastor, now retired. I LOVE what you wrote here about the calling everyone has and that you have to live into it. Bravo!
You wrote that for me! I sent the need for approval along with fear and comparison on a one way trip to the abyss. I don't need permission to do what God has called me to do!