Do you know the joy of pursuing your best work? Would you call your best work an upward call or an elevated purpose? A calling is something we believe we are compelled to do. We speak as if the compelling comes from outside, or that it was built into us. Either presupposes a creator, someone or some thing that built us a particular way for a particular purpose.
“Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 NASB
Our highest purposes pull us into the future. Paul said he pressed on toward the goal. He organically created the energy to press. He pushed himself toward a goal.
Paul works toward the goal for the prize. The prize is the upward call. Our strengths and our time, place, resources and experiences align us for a particular purpose. Sometimes that purpose is grand and other times it may be simple. Upward purposes impact others for good. Selfish purposes may give us energy in the short run, but the long haul requires an object and a goal bigger than ourselves.
We are all called upward. Naturally, we deteriorate. But God calls us upward and he provides his Holy Spirit living in us to encourage us and equip us for the work. Yes, our upward call is work. Leisure is good for a time, but it, too, is a poor goal. God is a worker and so are we.
Like being chosen for a team or selected for a job, our upward call requires energy and effort. The trophy isn’t the prize, it is a symbol. The upward call drives us to work with Jesus toward his purpose for us and the world.
Sometimes, even the process of identifying the upward call, or our particular purpose, can bring joy. We sense the excitement of finding the work that brings us energy. God grants us energy when we feel his blessing and purpose in our work.
We don’t naturally move up-and-to-the-right. In Christ, God calls us to himself. Jesus is our upward call. Life with Jesus, doing what he has for us to do gives us eternal life and joy in it.
Are you experiencing that joy today? If so, pass it on. And if not, please contact us using this form and we’ll set up a conversation. We want to help you serve Jesus full-time and make him known daily, and we’d be honored to help.
One way to discover your particular purpose is to check out Your One Degree, a ministry designed to help you focus your life and your impact.
