It’s easy to imagine that walking in our calling will mean open doors, quick success, and an easy path forward. But what if God’s plan isn’t always about comfort, but about forming our character through surrender and humility?
In this blog post, I want to share 5 biblical lessons about calling, entitlement, and trust. These truths remind us that the path God lays out may include challenges, but those very moments refine us for the greater purpose He’s written into our lives.
1. Surrender vs. Control: The Heart of Calling
When we dream about our calling, we often picture success on our terms such as financial stability, recognition, or the life we’ve planned. Yet Scripture calls us to open-handedness.
Are you curious about God’s will for your life, or your will for your life?
Philippians 2 shows us the model: Jesus humbled Himself in obedience, even to the point of death on a cross. True calling requires trust that God’s ways, though not always easy, lead to eternal reward.
2. Naming Our Fears Before God
Sometimes we avoid surrender because we fear that God will take away what we love most like financial security, relationships, or personal dreams. But honesty is the key to freedom.
Whatever that version of confession is for you… when you get that out of your mouth and into God’s hands, that is holy ground.
Just like Hannah poured out her grief in the temple (1 Samuel 1:10), we can bring our rawest fears to God. He meets us not with condemnation but with compassion.
3. Breaking Free from False Assumptions
Many of us grew up with distorted ideas of what serving God looks like. Some assume calling always leads to wealth and influence. Others assume it means poverty and sacrifice. But neither extreme captures God’s heart.
Ecclesiastes 7:18 says, “The one who fears God will avoid all extremes.”
Your calling may look practical, like working in finance or teaching, or it may lead to something creative and risky. The key is this: your calling is not about worldly status but about faithful obedience.
4. Willingness to Endure Hardship
Entitlement whispers that we deserve ease. But often, God strengthens us through difficulty.
Of course your calling will require incredible things from you… it will take humility, long-term perspective, and a willingness to suffer.
From Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 3 to Jacob working years for Rachel, Scripture shows that endurance is part of the journey. Hardship doesn’t disqualify you from your calling, it shapes you for it.
5. Trusting God’s Presence in the Desert
Sometimes calling looks less like clarity and more like walking through the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 29:5 reminds us: “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.”
God may not always give instant answers, but He never withholds His presence. The desert seasons are not wasted; they are the training ground where trust deepens and entitlement dies.
Final Encouragement
Finding your calling isn’t about chasing success or fearing sacrifice. It’s about laying down entitlement, surrendering your assumptions, and trusting God with both the unknown and the uncomfortable.
The same God who sustained Israel in the wilderness, who humbled Himself in Christ, and who carried Job through loss is the One who carries you today.
So if the path feels long, uncertain, or harder than you imagined, remember:
- Surrender is holy ground.
- Fear can become faith when placed in God’s hands.
- True calling often requires humility and endurance.
- And above all, your life is safest in the hands of the One who created you with purpose.
And above all, your life is safest in the hands of the One who created you with purpose.
Need help finding your calling? Book a free 30-minute career strategy call with us and take the first step toward clarity and purpose.
