What Were You Born To Do?

Perhaps one of the most universal questions that Christians ask is, “What am I called to do?”

Why am I alive? What was a made to do?

In this letter, I want to try to help clear the fog and help you see more clearly what you were made to do.

Before we dive in, let me firstly say this: The two ultimate indicators of calling are the Word of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Full stop. Sometimes God will call us to do things that just don’t make sense, and our job is to follow and obey.

So firstly ask yourself, “Have I truly been diligent to pray, listen, and seek counsel?” That is the absolutely necessary first step.

Too often we say, “I’ve prayed about it.” But what we really mean is, “I’ve been thinking and hoping about it.”

Hoping and thinking isn’t praying. Before anything else, have you taken an extended time to intentionally fast, pray (and listen), and seek counsel from trusted leaders?

If you haven’t done that, none of what I’m about to say is going to help. The principles I’m about to discuss will only bring clarity, they can’t substitute for a word from God.

So… now we get to the principles.

For many of us, we have an idea about what we’re called to do, but we’re unclear about how to go about it. We know we’re ultimately called to lead a lost and dying world to Jesus, but how am I specifically called to join in that mission?

In his multi-million copy bestselling book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t, Jim Collins teaches what makes an enduringly great company.

You’re probably thinking, “Luke, what do great companies have to do with my calling?”

Stay with me.

Through thousands of hours of intense research, Collins found a few key aspects that differentiated the great companies from the good ones.

One of the key aspects Collins discovered was something he calls the Hedgehog Principle. The Hedgehog Principle, in simple terms, is that great companies stick to one main thing. They don’t waste their time going after b-level opportunities. Instead, they stick to one main thing and they do it better than anyone else.

To illustrate the Hedgehog Concept, he uses a diagram that shows how to determine what a company’s one main thing should be.

The sole area of intense focus for the great companies fell at the intersection of 1) What they were deeply passionate about, 2) What they could be the best in the world at, 3) What drove their economic engine.

I would like to propose a similar diagram, but for determining what God has made us to do.

I believe that a strong clue concerning how God has called you specifically to live out your calling can come from this diagram.

1. What do I have a God-given burden and passion for?

What do you go to bed thinking about? And what do you wake up thinking about?

What, if you had to do it everyday for the rest of your life, wouldn’t drain you, but would energize you?

For me, I go to bed thinking about revival and I wake up thinking about revival. I can’t shake it. It’s built into the fabric of who I am.

In addition to that, I love writing, speaking, and building organizations. I could do those things all day every day and never get bored. I love them.

What are those things for you?

2. What can I reach my highest potential doing?

As much as I love basketball, it doesn’t matter how hard I work at it, I’ll never be in the NBA. It’s just not physically possible. I could reach my potential, and still only be a 4 or 5 out of 10 basketball player.

As cool as I think it’d be to teach high school math, I’m just not naturally gifted at math. No one would learn anything in my math class (well, they might learn some revival history, but that wouldn’t help them much).

As much as I’d love to have the theological brain of N.T. Wright, no one is going to ask me to teach a New Testament Hermeneutics class at Oxford.

But what can I reach my highest potential at?

Maybe it’s not what you’d think… Maybe it’s not being a great athlete, but maybe it’s being great at hosting people. Maybe you’re an incredible friend. Maybe you’re a great salesman. Maybe you’re an unbelievable encourager. Maybe you’re a fantastic mom.

What is that thing for you? What could you be an 8, 9, or 10-out-of-10 at?

For me, I have been regularly told that I have a gift to inspire and stir faith in people. And I think I have the potential to be a great writer and a great preacher. I’m a long way off from being either of those things, but I think I have the potential.

And that’s the key. Not, “Am I the best in the world right now?” But, rather, “With diligent effort do I legitimately have the potential to be great at this?”

What endeavor, if I were to give myself to it fully, am I gifted by God to be great at?

What comes easily to me that doesn't come so easily to other people?

3. What can I make money doing?

You might be confused by this one. What does making money have to do with calling? Sounds kind of worldly, doesn’t it?

The reason I have this question here is because you have to make money to live.

Now, I’m not talking about, “What can I make a billion dollars doing?” Although some of you have been gifted and called to start successful businesses in order to fund the kingdom. I know several people like this and they are some of the most godly people I’ve ever met.

What I’m primarily talking about here is, “What can I provide well for my family doing?”

(Quick side note: In this season, my wife feels called to be a great stay at home mom while getting her Masters degree. This still answers the question, “What can I make money doing?” Because her staying home enables me to work and make income for our family. So if that’s you, don’t worry!)

1 Timothy 5:8 says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

To use the excuse of calling to not take good care of your family is lazy, selfish, and ungodly.

So, what can you do to utilize your gifting and passions to provide for yourself or your family while making a significant impact for the Kingdom of God?

4. What can you make the greatest kingdom impact doing?

Once you have identified an area where the first three questions intersect, then ask yourself, “How can I intentionally leverage these for the advancement of God’s kingdom?”

God’s kingdom primarily advances in three ways: 1) Reaching the lost, 2) Making disciples, 3) The promotion of biblical justice.

How can you leverage your gifts and passions to reach the most people possible with the gospel, make the most possible disciples, and make the greatest headway for biblical justice in our day?

A perfect example of this is my uncle, Matt Boyd. My uncle grew up in a climate where serving God usually meant becoming a pastor or some other type of traditional “ministry.” But, while my uncle deeply loved God, he had both a passion and a gifting for business.

Rather than pursuing a traditional “ministry” route, he has lived out his life at the intersection of these four questions. He’s a successful executive, investor, and entrepreneur and is leveraging those giftings to make an incredible impact for the kingdom of God. He does this through the radical generosity of his time and resources.

I’ve never met someone who gives more freely of their time and money to see the lost reached, to see disciples made, and to care for the poor, widow, orphan, and oppressed. He and his wife have given away more money in secret than most people will ever know. And they have had widows, orphans, and the oppressed regularly living in their home or being served in their home for as long as I can remember.

Could he have been a pastor? Sure. Would he have made the same incredible impact he is making today? Probably not.

So where do these questions intersect for you? Take the time to sit down, ask the Holy Spirit, and write down the answers to these questions.

If you do, you’ll have some strong clues as to what you were born to do.

REFLECTION:

Where do those 4 questions intersect for you?

What are you deeply passionate about? What do you think about when you have time to dream?

What can you be truly great at? What are you gifted by God to do? What have other people regularly told you you’re good at?

What can you make enough money doing to legitimately provide for yourself or your family?

How can you creatively leverage the intersection of those three questions for the greatest kingdom impact?

Answer those 4 questions and you’ll have some strong clues as to what God has made you to do.