Welcome to Higher Calling! Connecting Higher Education with God's Calling
How Will You Discover Your Calling?
That's a great question! You may have heard that without vision, teenagers wander into food court water fountains. (Or something like that.) It's the same with college planning, without a vision, college-bound students may wander. College planning is a process. You need a plan. People who have a vision know where they are going, walk with confidence, and radiate positivity! So, how can you discover your higher calling?
Tim Elmore poses a great question that should be asked of college-bound students: "What problems do you want to solve?" The problems you want to solve could be physical, social, emotional or spiritual. They could impact mental health, justice, technology, personal fitness, beekeeping, astronomy, or religion, When you step in to solve a problem, you are following Paul's challenge to "carry each other's burdens" (Galatians 6:2).
Discovering what problems you want to solve begins with how you view and experience your community. Why do you want to fight for a specific social injustice? How might a degree in sustainability help you solve housing issues? Why do you want to make educational toys?
Just because you like to argue, does not mean you should become a lawyer. Being a stellar babysitter is not a prerequisite for becoming a pediatrician. Seriously. While those are common reasons students share for selecting those career paths, your calling should be more meaningful.
Consider the senior with aspirations to become a home builder who accidentally fell off a ladder. After his experience in the emergency room, he decided to attend Samford University to study nursing. After twenty years as an ER nurse, he is now embarking on a new career sharing the benefits of essential oils (also in the health industry). His higher calling is serving people through the health industry.
In Ephesians 4:1, Paul is urging followers of Jesus Christ to "live a life worthy of the calling they have received." Worthy (axois in Greek) means "in balance." Is your life in balance? Your primary calling is to live your ENTIRE LIFE in a worthy manner. In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul taught his readers that they were "a child of God," In chapter four, he is saying, "act like one!"
How can you find a worthy career? Think about it this way. When you are solving the problems (carrying the burden) you are passionate about while having fun and getting paid, you have discovered your calling! And since there is a mandate for 60% of Americans to have a post secondary degree and since 65% of future jobs will require a bachelor's degree, you'll want to find a college with the right major that will prepare you for your future.
You are on your way to living a worthy life!
If you are interested in discovering your higher calling, work with your school counselor or contact me.
“The caliber of your future will be determined by the choices you make today.” ~ Anthony ONeal
“…live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” - Paul, Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)