Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something that didn’t make sense on paper? Maybe it meant walking away from something good to step into something you couldn’t fully see yet. I’ve been there more times than I can count, and every single time, it required me to choose faith over my own understanding.

I want to talk about what it looks like to obey God when His calling for your life doesn’t look the way you expected. Because here’s the thing about a calling from God: it’s never really about us. It’s about bringing Him glory and furthering His kingdom. When we start chasing our own plans for our own glory, we end up missing what He actually has for us.

What Does It Mean to Have a Calling?

God has a plan and a purpose for your life here on earth. That plan is meant to bring Him glory, not to build us up. It’s so easy to flip that around without even realizing it, or to start treating our calling like it’s about our own success or recognition instead of His. A true calling is God-centered, not self-centered.

So how do you actually figure out what God is calling you to? Here are some of the ways I’ve learned to discern it in my own life.

1. Look at Your Natural Talents and Spiritual Gifts

God gave you talents for a reason. Maybe you sing, or draw, or you’re the one everyone turns to for leadership, or you’re the friend who can organize anything. Those aren’t random. They're desires and gifts given by God who created you.

Romans 12 also talks about spiritual gifts like serving, encouraging, teaching, leading, showing mercy and kindness, and giving. Whatever gift He’s given you, He wants you to use it with excellence and gladness, not because you have to, but because it’s an offering back to Him.

2. Pay Attention to Your Passions and Burdens

What breaks your heart? What can you not stop thinking about? For some women that’s caring for orphans, or fighting to end human trafficking, or sharing the gospel overseas, or teaching the Bible. If you’re still in school, even the degree you’re pursuing can be part of this. God plants burdens in us for a reason, and they often point straight to what He’s calling us toward. My burden was to teach my kids the Bible and to help other families to be able to do it as well. 

3. Commit to Praying Through It

This one takes patience. Bring it to God and keep bringing it to Him, and watch whether He keeps calling you back to the same thing over time. I think about how I prayed through whether to date my husband or not. I prayed and journaled for thirty days straight before I had peace about moving forward. God isn’t in a hurry, and waiting on Him in prayer is never wasted time.

4. Meditate on Scripture

Your calling should always line up with God’s Word. If it contradicts Scripture, it’s not from Him, no matter how good it sounds. This is why we need to actually be in the Word, because a renewed mind is what allows us to discern His will in the first place.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

5. Seek Counsel from Godly People

Find two or three mature believers you trust and let them speak into what you’re sensing. God often confirms His calling through the people He’s placed around us.

6. Look for Peace

Regardless of what outsiders think, even if they think you’re crazy, does God give you peace about it? That peace, the kind that holds steady even when others don’t understand, is worth paying attention to.

7. Look for Fruit

Are you seeing fruitful results as you pursue it? God tends to confirm the path He has for us as we walk it out faithfully.

Here’s the action step: start saying "yes" to God in faith, one small step at a time, and let Him open and close the doors for you. He will make it very clear when a door isn’t meant for you to walk through. Don't get frustrated when a door or opportunity shuts on you. Instead, think of it as a clear sign from God that it wasn't what He had planned for you, and keep your eyes open for the next open door. He is faithful. 

People in the Bible Who Obeyed in Faith

Mary is one of the clearest examples of this. When God completely changed the plans for her life, she responded in faith, trust, and joy. She trusted that His plans were good and perfect and pleasing, even when they cost her everything and her life became at risk. She became a living sacrifice for God, and that’s the posture He’s asking of us too.

Then there’s Moses, my favorite person to cling to in Scripture when I am lacking faith. Through Moses, we see that God can handle our questions and our doubts. Moses had plenty of them, and God never shamed him for asking. He simply kept calling and kept equipping him for the task ahead. That’s such a relief to me—that God isn’t looking for people who never doubt or question. He’s looking for people willing to obey even while they’re trying to make sense of His plans through it.

My Own Story of Obeying in Faith

I’ve asked God a lot of hard questions over the years.

Why did I have to quit my job right when I got promoted? Because I had to learn that money, power, and authority are not where my value is found. Looking back, I was chasing a social status more than I was chasing closeness with God.

Why did I go to college if I couldn't use my degree as a stay at home mom? One year after leaving my career, God called me to build a Christian Bible study business. My past career and MBA were going to be used to the fullest. Those things were not opportunities taken from me—they were training grounds given by God to prepare me for His calling.

Why did I have to sell our dream home? Because God was working on my heart the whole time to stop putting my value in material things.

Where would we even live? Initially we didn't think we could afford to stay in California on one income. So we flew out to Tennessee thinking we’d have to move out of state, but God closed that door. Instead, He made it possible for us to live in a city just 15 minutes from my husband's job. He had it figured out the whole time.

How would we provide? He always provided, but usually at the very last second. And now He has provided abundantly through my job and blessed us more than I ever expected. He has been so, so faithful!

Say Yes to God

Start saying yes to God in faith, one step at a time. Obeying Him will likely cost you something. It will probably push you outside your comfort zone. But you can trust that the Lord knows what’s best for you, because His plans are good and pleasing and perfect.

Journal Questions

1. Write about a time you made a decision in faith alone. If you can’t think of one, write a prayer asking God to help you take that step.
2. What is something you sense God calling you to do today that you need to obey in faith?
3. What is one intentional step of obedience you can take this week?
4. Read 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, and write down what God is trying to show you.

A Prayer

Lord, give us courage and clarity as we seek to follow where You’re leading. Help us trust You even when the path looks nothing like we expected. Thank You for being faithful to equip us for whatever You’ve called us to. In Jesus’ name, amen.