At some point in the last 10 years, I came up with the analogy of how the process of designing a car perfectly illustrates how we each have a different calling and that we will carry that out very differently than what others are called to. The analogy is very simple and practical and you can see it playing out every time you leave your house. I’ve seen how relevant this is myself when I look at each of the callings of my close friends and the kind of life God has required them to live. If you’ve never thought about how your unique divine design strongly influences how you go about reaching your full God-intended purpose in life, this should help you see things in an accurate context.

A Dream About Improper Pressuring

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

1 Corinthians 15:40-41 (KJV)

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and we were talking about a long list of subjects, including the significance of what it means that we each have different callings. More than once, I have been pressured by certain people (not with malicious intent) to do things that I did not feel I was called to do. At times, that pressure “seemed” justified for a greater purpose and yet, when I started going along with that, I quickly ran into a very strong internal resistance that I needed to sort out. True, sometimes we have an internal resistance to things we are supposed to do (as led by God) and that would be a form of rebellion. Rebellion is not the same as a when you have a sense deep inside of you that something just isn’t right.

As I say, this has happened more than once and in some cases, it was by the same group of people. Who those are is not important because those pressures could come from many directions for many reasons. Either way, the times I was pressured to do something that wasn’t right led me into a time of mental chaos that was rooted in fear, legalism and a lack of clarity in sensing what God really wanted me to do. There were times when this was extremely difficult to sort out and it caused quite an extreme level of consternation within me. After one such instance, I had a dream that helped me come to the proper conclusion and end the internal turmoil.

In that dream, I was at a sign in table for an event. As I looked for the place on several lists to sign in that I was present, I noticed I was wearing a jacket that had someone else’s name on it. I said to the person at the table that this was not my name and don’t call me by that.

The quick and easy interpretation of that dream is that a jacket can represent your calling (sometimes a “mantle”). The name that was not mine represented the fact that I was being pressured to do what someone else was called to but it was not my calling. When I told the person “this is not my name and don’t call me by that”, that was a confirmation that I was right in rejecting the pressure to do what God did not call me to do. The sign in event and the person behind the table proved the real life context of the dream and who it was that was pressuring me.

When I woke up from that dream, I began to feel a relief because now, God had answered me Himself and showed me what was going on. As a result, I stopped going along with the assignment that others were given because now I knew God did not call me to that (despite how it looked on the surface that I “should” be doing it). Obviously I’m omitting a few key real life details here but that’s because I’m not trying to point at anyone or make an issue of something that is not for public knowledge. This could have easily happened anywhere and the pressures could have come from anyone (coworkers, family, friends, etc). Again, those in the “guilty party” were not necessarily malicious but, the end result made me feel as if it could have been such.

The Analogy of Auto Designers

Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

John 21:21-22 (KJV)

So, having walked through a simple and yet somewhat vague example of a situation where I had to discern my real assignment, let’s get back to the point of this episode. At the top, I said that I developed a simple analogy about our calling. As the title suggests, it is a parable of sorts where you can relate God’s real plan for our life to how an auto manufacturer designs various types of vehicles. The analogy goes like this…

There are pickup trucks, SUVs, sedans, sports cars, motorcycles and all the rest. Each of these types of vehicles are designed with a specific purpose in mind. Pickup trucks are designed to carry loads but not necessarily many people. SUVs are designed to carry people and loads, often for long distance travel. Sedans are designed mostly for people with limited cargo capacity. Sports cars are designed for style and speed but they are totally impractical if you need to carry more than one passenger or a large load of groceries. Motorcycles are even more restrictive in practicality and are mostly intended for one person and nothing else.

At some point within the last 10 years, I began to realize that God designed us in the same exact way as auto manufacturers design cars. God creates us with many different characteristics that are intended to fulfill a very unique purpose. Going back to the auto example, you cannot force a pickup truck to do what a sports car can do or vice versa. Motorcycles cannot do what SUVs or sedans can do, etc. And the same is true for you and I.

Personally speaking, I am not very good at deliverance ministry or praying for the sick or giving prophetic words. Despite the fact that I value each of those callings, God did not put me here to do that. It’s not that I can’t do a little of those myself but, it is definitely not at all in the center of what God designed me to do. If you’ve been following this series for a while then you know what God did call me to. Speaking of that, I know many who are perfectly well gifted at praying for the sick (and seeing results), deliverance ministry (with results) and giving prophetic words that make a profound difference to the person receiving them. Just as I am not good at performing those functions, I can point to those same people and say that if they had to build an invention and huge global corporation, they would fail very quickly.

The reason is not that they are incompetent or dumb; it is simply because God did not design them with the ability to do what He put me here in this life for. The reason I cannot do what they excel at is because God did not design me in the way He did them. It is very simple. A Porsche 911 is not a Toyota Highlander. A Ford F-150 is not a Corvette. Each is good in its own way but do not try to force one to be the other. Just like my dream… “do not call me by that name”. Makes sense, right?

Correctly Discerning Your Assignment

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Romans 8:14 (KJV)

So now that we’ve explained that, what’s the one simple solution here to ensuring you don’t go down a path that you were not designed for?? As I say, it is very simple and yet it might take you some time to get it sorted out. As I said to a friend the other day, the solution here is that you must learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. If you can get to the point of correctly hearing the quiet subtle voice of the Holy Spirit, then you can navigate all these challenges that may get thrown your way (even by well meaning people who come at you the wrong way).

Pay attention to those subtle feelings and convictions inside of you. Get away from anything that makes you feel you are under the wrong kind of pressure to make a decision that is not of God. Do not bow to prophetic words that do not bear witness with you and confirm what you were already thinking. Remember…
“In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

DO NOT ever go off one person’s prophetic word (or prophetic pressure) to force you to do something God never called you to. Remember the story in 1 Kings 13 of the young prophet who disobeyed God’s personal word to him and listened to another so-called prophet who lied to him – in the end, that young prophet was killed by a lion!

Learn to hear God for yourself. Follow Him only. If you’re new to this, you will probably encounter a time when someone will give you the wrong word that did not come from God (even those in ministry!!) Be led by the Spirit, not someone who claims to be and yet gives you a false word. This is a really big deal, possibly much bigger than I’m making it sound here (speaking from experience).

Well, I think I’ve made my point here and for sure, I’ve lived this one (more than once). I hope this has been helpful to you in learning to discern God’s real calling for you – to keep you on the right path to your real God intended destiny. God Bless!

To be continued…

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