Having a 3 year old means I live and breathe the parenting technique called “redirection.” It’s where I ask my son to do something, he does something completely different and I have to physically or verbally point him back to the task at hand. “Yes buddy, I see that toy, and we can play with him later. Sit down and eat please,” is said at LEAST twice, every meal. Sometimes, I feel like a broken record, repeating the same thing over and over, but he has so many concerns: What are we doing later? Are we seeing anyone? Look at this cool thing! Can we watch tv? I sigh exasperated sometimes, “Yeah hon, I see you. I hear you. We’ll talk about it later, we’re eating right now.”

Do you ever experience redirection in your life? It might not be the voice of your parent asking you to please sit at the table, or not to stand on the furniture, but do you feel that pull in your heart to focus on something particular, even if you’re going in a completely different direction? There’s a secular concept that “life will present the same situation/test over and over again until we learn the lesson.” Rather than attribute the impersonal concept of “life,” I see it as the loving hands of our Father, pointing us back in the direction of our calling.

Whether or not you believe in a big P “Purpose” for your life or are more like me who thinks life is a succession  of little purposes, the Bible is absolutely clear that you have an assignment (Ephesians 2:10, John 15:16, Ephesians 4, and many examples of ordinary people like Moses, David, and Paul being called.)

Even so, at this stage in my life, I don’t give a lot of thought to my calling. I just want to pee in peace or make sure I brush my hair today. For you, your focus could be the amount of work you have to get done at the office or maybe you’re a student, trying to finish your studies strong. Distractions abound, and when I do feel that tug on my heart, I’m quick to point them out: “God, do you see that deadline? Do you see those bills? Do you see my schedule? I don’t have time to ___.”

We deaden our heart, and silence that whisper that we were made for more. We turn away from the force trying to redirect us and even attempt to disqualify ourselves. For Moses, it was, “I’m a stutterer, I can’t talk to Pharaoh. Please send someone else. (Exodus 4:10-14) For me, it’s I’m not cut out to be a mom, a writer, a minister. Please don’t ask this of me.

For all of my maneuvering and attempting to get away, showing God all the reasons why I can’t do what He’s imprinted into my very soul to accomplish, I have found one thing to be true: You cannot convince God that you are unworthy of or incapable of carrying out your calling

“It is not by might, nor by power, but my My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. He who has called you is faithful, He will do it.” (Zech. 4:6/ 1 Thess. 5:24)

Unlike human me, who eventually either succumbs to anger and threatens to throw my kid’s food away if he gets up from the table again, or gives up redirecting and just declares dinner over, God is faithful to complete the good work He began in us, and that includes not letting us wander aimlessly through life with our hands up asking, “Why am I here? What purpose do I serve beyond being a cog in the economy of this world?”

You have a choice though: You can say no, and continue to push away and do what you want, further avoiding the call from within, the same call that asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” You can continue to grind out the existence you imagine for yourself and never really be fulfilled. It is not His desire for you to look back with regret at wasted opportunities, but He cannot, and will not, make you engage. However, don’t expect Him to give up gently reminding you who you are, and what you’ve been appointed.

The epic story that our Father has written for us, from cover to cover, screams you were made for more. You were made to take part in bringing Heaven to Earth. Your role matters. Take heart today and say “YES” to that which you have been called.