Why am I here?
Have you ever asked that question? I bet you have. It’s a question we have all asked at one point or another.
We have a God-given need to place ourselves in a position of purpose.
Whether we are trying to define our passion, articulate our calling, or zone in on our ministry or business niche, having a clear picture of our purpose is one of the keys to being effective.
It’s often said that if you are trying to reach everyone, you will reach no one. That is so true. But when we can clearly communicate who we are trying to reach, why we are trying to reach them and what we have to offer them, we will have greater opportunity to make an impact.
If you are struggling to put your calling in words, try these three steps:
Find Your Why
Your Why is the foundation of your calling. It is the thing that excites and energizes you, but it can also be the thing that grieves your heart. It motivates you to action. Just as Isaiah said “Here am I, send me!” when the Lord asked who could go to his people, you always raise your hand when you see a need in the area of your Why.
Find Your Who
Your Who is the group of people who need what you have. These are the ones that you are able to build special relationships with and that seek you out for advice.
While you are pondering your Who, you also need to think about where they gather, both in person and online. How are you going to find them to engage?
Find Your You
Think about yourself, independent of your Why. You have unique life experiences that give you something to offer. What are they? Think of the things that are burning in your heart to share with someone.
Your You includes your personality traits that contribute to the way you will reach your Who. To be authentic in your calling, you will have to give of yourself, so what part of you are you willing and able to give?
As you work through these areas, you will see threads that run through them all. Your calling is where your Why, your Who and your You intersect. The place where the threads tie together and form a knot in your heart.
Tweet ThisThis is an exercise to do when you have some time and space to pray through it. It may help to ask a couple of trusted friends to brainstorm through it with you. Others often see things in us we would never see on our own.
The effort may be difficult, painful even. But it is worth it and will serve you well as you seek to walk in your unique calling.
RESOURCES
Download this free worksheet to help you work through these steps.
These posts were helpful to me in researching this topic:
- Discover Your God-Given Calling
- Amy Carroll’s Finding My Niche Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
If you need more detailed help finding your calling, try this free resource:
Have you struggled to put your finger on what your calling looks like?
Or put into words your purpose and mission?
This free, three-part mini-ecourse will help you Pinpoint Your Purpose. Through these email lessons and accompanying worksheets, you’ll learn:
- Why it’s important to understand your purpose
- How to find your purpose at the intersection of Why, Who and You
- Three ways to use your purpose as a filter in the day-to-day decisions of your ministry
Are you able to articulate your passion, calling or niche? If so share it in the comments!
29 thoughts on “Why Am I Here? 3 Tips to Find Your Calling”
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Great post Christa! I am in the process of shifting my business and I have been working through these same issues. Thank you for offering more insights as I pray about this new direction. I’m sure your words will be a help and encouragement to many!
Thank you for this great insight Christa! “Why am I here?” is a question my mind runs to often! God has given me a unique story and I know He longs for me to reach those who are striving to thrive in a foreign land.
This is awesome. I love the quote, “Your calling is where your Why, your Who, and Your You intersect.” I tweeted this.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks so much for your help Christa . I am working on praying over and thinking more on defining my niche.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
These are great questions to pray through. I’ve been on this journey to uncover my calling for a while and love how God has been revealing these answers to me. It’s not always a quick exercise, but rather a process to submit yourself to as you discover just what God has planned for your life. Great post!
You are right that it is not quick, and it’s also not a one-time thing. It’s something we need to look at often as God moves us through our journey. Glad you enjoyed it and hope it was helpful!
Thank you SO MUCH for this, Christa! I am looking forward to making time to work through the download.
Your posts are so practical and helpful – thank you for sharing your gifts with us!
XOXO
Nichole
Awwww, thank you, Nichole. You are such an encourager!
Thanks so much for the shout out, Christa!
Thanks for all you do for speakers and writers, Amy! Your website is a great resource.
Christa,
Thank you so much…it’s like you are in my head! I can’t wait to dig into this. Thank you ?
Ha ha! As usual, I’m only writing the things that are running around in my own head!
This is so simple, yet really hit home for me Amy … my generation seems to be eternally asking this question and seeking purpose. Sometimes you just need to step out in faith and in the common sense the Lord gave us. This guide is extremely practical while approaching what can feel like a very ethereal topic. I so appreciated it!
I’m glad it was helpful, Rachel. You are exactly right. We make this much harder than it needs to be!
Good encouragement to get to the core of a calling. This is my first time landing on your blog, Christa. What a neat stop. Glad to visit you today via #dancewithJesus.
So glad you stopped by, Kristi! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help!
Great post 🙂
Without purpose a man perishes. So critical to find and follow your purpose. Thanks for sharing! Susan
Christa, what a great post! Your suggestions and questions are perfect for helping us hone our calling and purpose. I’m going to be thinking through your questions over the next few days.
And, like one of the other commenters, I loved your tweet, and I tweeted it. 🙂
I’m your neighbor over at Holley Gerth’s place today.
I love that God puts us in different places and purposes in life. One of the joys is finding them!
Love this! I am in the midst of prayerfully and tearfully seeking God’s will and purpose for my life every day! I’m still in the deciding phases of whether to start with a blog, or just go ahead and write the book.
Hi Christa! Thanks for this post! I started my blog b/c I was FINALLY able to answer those questions and now God is leading the path. I tweeted your quote and pinning to my Purpose board! Be blessed and thanks for sharing!
Great tips Christa! I’m still praying through my “Mind Map, which has also offered me the opportunity to share the process with my fellow sisters who are interested in the process – a big step with my mentoring program!
That’s so cool!
I have actually always wondered whether I’m following my calling. There have been times that the fear that I wasn’t following my calling has actually immobilized me to the point of fearing that I wasn’t doing anything right. These days, I’ve had to learn to trust that the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given me are being used in the best way possible for him. Thanks for this post, I truly think that it was helpful for me.
Rosanna, that is exactly where the enemy wants to get us, isn’t it? Immobilized. But God has so much more than that for you and I’m so glad you are allowing him to use you!