How to Not *Almost* Miss Your Calling
by Dr. Jamie Morgan
When I was a brand-new, bright-eyed pastor, I fully believed everyone in my church could walk in God’s calling on their lives, because:
• Jesus is a limitless God
• Every person is limited
• No human limits can keep us from fulfilling our calling once Jesus becomes Lord of our life.
Decades later, I still believe this with my whole heart, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the experience of many. Why? Some continued to believe the lies of the enemy regarding who they are, what God can accomplish through them, and how much He can use them – thus thwarting God’s call on their lives.
One of the greatest joys of ministry has been watching Christians answer God's call on their lives. The greatest sorrow has been when they don't.
I've lost count of the number of Christians I’ve witnessed almost answer their call, almost use their gifts and talents to build the kingdom and almost fulfill their destiny. Watching this play out is truly one of the biggest heartbreaks of ministry, and for the person who falls into the enemy's trap, the pain and regret are unbearable.
It’s impossible to fully answer God’s call on your life while embracing the lies of the enemy. Oh you may walk in a partial fulfillment, but you’ll do so with a spiritual limp. Every time God gives you a larger assignment, or asks you to go to your next level, you’ll return to that limiting belief if you don’t replace lies with Truth.
Worse yet, when you minister to others, you can pass those limitations onto them. Ministry is both taught and caught. How we respond to the issues of life will teach the person we’re discipling how they should respond.
Or, tragically, you may not answer His call on your life at all.
Satan hates it when believers step into their destiny. He will use anything to try to stop it: fear, condemnation, insecurity, temptation, doubt, sin, and the lure of comfort are all powerful weapons in his arsenal.
But please remember: The only power the enemy has over us is when we agree with his lies! Our minds are truly the battlefield (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Here is the typical scenario:
• A believer wants more than anything to walk in their purpose.
• God opens a huge door of ministry opportunity in her life.
• As her foot is about to cross the ministry threshold, right on cue, the enemy attacks.
• The believer succumbs to the attack by believing the lies of the enemy.
• Sabotage: door blocked and call successfully thwarted!
"For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV).
It’s no surprise that the enemy will try to steal a believer's destiny; it is part of Satan's job description (John 10:10). The real surprise for me, however, is how many believers fall prey to it.
The moment we receive salvation, we’re brand-new creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our spirit, which was once dead, is now alive. But our soul (mind, will, and emotions) remains unchanged and in desperate need of an encounter with the Word of God. We remove limiting beliefs by renewing our mind with Truth. We take off worldly thinking and put on Word-of-God thinking.
“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).
Here are four steps to not almost miss your calling:
Stay vigilant
Don't be caught unaware and think the enemy will leave you alone. He won't. Stay alert, knowing the enemy will attack God's purposes for your life. Expect it.
Remain self-aware
Take stock of what you are thinking about. The enemy will inject lies into your mind about why you can't run through the door of opportunity. Identify these lies and speak God's Word. Pick up your weapons and fight!
Build your confidence
Determine to step through the door of opportunity with confidence in the Lord. Get alone with the Lord, emptying yourself of pride, fear, doubt, condemnation, sin and so on, and asking God to fill you to overflowing with His Spirit.
Take bold action
Run through the door God has opened for you! Don't tiptoe, stagger, or hold onto the doorpost for dear life. But run through with everything in you, as if souls depend upon it, because they do!
Women of God, determine to extinguish every limiting belief regarding God’s call on your life. Replace lies with Truth. And then as you step into your destiny, choose to believe what God has spoken.
If the enemy’s lies are left to stay, they will limit your destiny. But if you take God at His Word, He will use you to change the world for Jesus Christ!
DR. JAMIE MORGAN
Dr. Jamie Morgan is the author of Her Calling: A Woman’s Guide to Fulfilling Her God-Given Destiny, as well as three other books. An ordained minister, she is also the founder of Trailblazer Mentoring Network, a mentoring movement that inspires, encourages, and challenges women in ministry to walk in the fullness of their callings.
