Alive - by Dave Smith

• TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Most of us will have several roles and responsibilities in life – be that
with our family, our studies, our work, our community and our local
church. Rather than just focusing narrowly, for example, on your
‘career’, ensure that you consider your calling in the light of all these
different spheres.
• GO ON A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
While you may have some moments of sudden illumination, the reality
is that finding your unique life pathway is almost always a journey of
discovery. This often involves a combination of self-awareness,
experimentation and consultation with trusted ‘others’ – as well as
direct revelation from Jesus. Moreover, since we all change and
develop, and we go through different seasons throughout our
lifetimes, it’s highly likely that you may be fulfilling your vocation right
now, but, like Eric Liddell, may discover that you have a different or
even ultimate calling that lies somewhere else in the future.
• RECEIVE ONGOING GUIDANCE AND STRENGTH
In a fascinating comment following his summary of the postresurrection
appearances in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wrote: ‘For I am
the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No,
I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that
was with me’ (vv9-10). The Message translation puts it this way: ‘It
was God giving the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.’
In other words, Paul was saying that both his initial call and his
ongoing fulfilment of that call came from God, not from something he
worked up in his own strength. It’s the same for you and me. It’s not