3 ways community discerns your calling
Your calling is not on an island.
One of the biggest misconceptions about calling is that it is an individual endeavor.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Calling, destiny, and purpose are all community-centric activities in the kingdom of God.
Here are three ways that community sharpens and shapes your calling:
1. Community tells you things you’re good at you wouldn’t have otherwise known
My friend Adam tells a story of how when he was an intern at IHOPKC, somebody asked him to start designing some book cover assets. One thing led to another, and he ended up designing their marketing collateral over and over again. Before you know it, he became a full-fledged designer.
Community tells us things we're good at - things we don't even know we're good at. There's something in the providence of God and the work of the church where we find our giftings and skills in that work. Outside of community, you may never have found them otherwise.
2. Community tells you areas you need to grow in you can’t otherwise see
Everyone has blind spots - things you cannot see yourself that you need others to see for you. I remember seasons where I thought I was acting confidently, but I was actually acting pridefully and arrogantly. It wasn't until my community (in this case, my wife!) graciously told me that.
We need community to tell us our character blind spots. Without that knowledge, we won't grow into the people God is calling us to be.
3. Community supports us when we don’t believe in ourselves
If you're human, you will struggle. And in our calling, we often doubt ourselves. There have been so many times at church when somebody has prayed for me and deeply reminded me of my importance in the kingdom and my work there.
Community is God's choice to encourage us. Without it, we will be self-defeating.
Do you have a community to support your calling?
If you're reading this, you can't do it alone. You'll never reach the place God has called you apart from the people He has placed around you.
Have you experienced the power of community?
Let me know in the comments below!
You were made for greatness,
Phil