Just Show Up: A 5 Day Guide for Exhausted Christians Sýnishorn

Show Up for What?

But show up for what? How do we know what God wants us to do in the first place? How do we know what to show up for? As I reflected on the question, I had a realization. Showing up and finding God’s will aren’t two separate subjects. In fact, they’re closely related. One thing that simplified the question for me was learning that, as Christians, we all have two callings, not just one.

We have what some have called a general or common calling. This is what all Christians are called to do. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He responded by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). Then He added this: “This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (vv. 38–39). Love God, love others. That’s the bottom line. That isn’t easy, but we’re called to do it. And we don’t need signs or a voice from heaven to confirm it. If you’re a follower of Jesus, it’s part of your common calling.

We also have a particular calling. That’s the call on your life that applies specifically to you. It involves questions of career. Should you be an electrician or an event planner? A painter or a paralegal? As Westerners, we tend to overemphasize this one, honestly. God cares about your occupation, but I don’t think it’s His number one concern. And it’s not the most important thing about you. The apostle Paul was the greatest missionary of all time. But what was his “job”? He was a tentmaker. That wasn’t his primary calling, of course. It just paid the bills.

I’m not saying your career isn’t important. It’s part of your calling. But so are your relationships. Should you get married? If so, to whom? Your particular calling also involves where you should be. Should you live in Seattle or San Diego? Britain or Bulgaria? The city or the country?

Here’s the unglamorous truth: Usually, we find God’s will as we obey Him. As we act with integrity and faithfulness in our current situation, He lights the path ahead. This is how your particular call and common call are related. When you focus on fulfilling the common calling, the specific calling of your life has a way of becoming clearer.

Even if you’re not sure what to do right now, that’s okay. You don’t need to know what’s a hundred miles ahead. God just wants you to take the next step. As pastor Kevin DeYoung advises, “Don’t wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will, so just go out and do something.”[1]

[1] Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), 59.