That's a lot to think about. But I am glad that you put it so simply.. God wanting us to make more God-lovers. If that is all I'm here to do, right now, I don't mind.

About a year ago, I was asked to say a few words about "calling" and "Christian scholarship." (Yea, here we go around THAT mulberry bush again.) But it forced me to articulate a few things rather than just blithely riding down the bumpy road of life. Chris is especially good at helping articulation happen and after a conversation with him, it was so simple and clear. "Calling" is simply obedience to Christ! (not entirely different than what you just said).

Seeing my calling in life as seeking to be obedient has really changed a lot about how I do things. I know it sounds rather general and vague, but the basic mindset has really helped me in my prayers and in how I view what I am doing in the moment. (E.g., in the context of my original thoughts, if being a scholar doesn't work out professionally, I don't have to worry that I'm not fulfilling my "calling" to be a scholar, because it's bigger than that.) As big decisions and life changes face us, we don't have to struggle under crushing questions, "But, I thought this was my calling." Christ just wants obedience everyday. So today it's raising a kid, tomorrow it will be who knows what? (Now if I could just conquer sin... *grin*)

heh, heh, heh. I remember the love trapezoid. :-)

I think in addition to making more "God-lovers", God also uses the children to make better God-lovers out of us. Who better to distract you from yourself than your children? Need I explain more?

You know Bob, I've had thoughts along similar lines--reducing my calling to simply family life. I agree with you that 'everybody's doing it' but you seem to imply that everyone is doing it equally well. Doing the marriage/parenting/family thing is indeed a high calling, and the volume of people attempting it doesn't reduce the significance of that calling at all. It seems there is plenty of evidence in the culture around us that many people do not do the family thing well--for myriad reasons. Placing your priority in this life on family would seem to be a very wise way to conduct yourself as you face decisions and go about your day to day life. Obviously you can't quit your job of blow off your responsibilites in order to focus on your family--the guiding mode of doing family well reaches into most every other venue of life. Whadayathink?

good thoughts. I definitely appreciate the obedience perspective, and I think I've been leaning that way without quite knowing how to say it, and wondering what that's supposed to look like. I guess that's where faith comes in.

I know there isnt necessarily "one big thing" that I'm supposed to do for the rest of my life, but at the same time God has given me strengths (and weaknesses) to serve Him somehow. perhaps being a faithful husband, father, friend, employee, etc really is what it looks like.

I guess the shift in my mind has been from family as an end in itself to a means to continue to do God's will.

Bob, I think you're hitting it when you say "a means to continue to do God's will." We're here ultimately for God's glory and our calling is to live (as Schaeffer would say) moment by moment in humble reliance on God's grace. Not my will be done but thy [the Father's] will. Our contentment is not in our job or our family or ourselves, but in Christ.

Many days I feel like our "calling" is more about how we do whatever we do than it is about what specifically we do. This may be an overcompensation from a hyper-Charismatic background where God "had a plan" and a "prophetic word" for every specific situation and everyone seemed to have a big "calling." That was a way of looking at the world that didn't seem to jive with scripture, in my opinion. Most of us are the unnamed characters in the story of the Bible, not the Pauls and Peters who have starring roles.

But those are just a few (uneducated by most standards) thoughts...

Well, contrary to John, I was raised PCA and am now in the charismatic church. I do feel like I have a specific calling and not bc I got prophetic words. But I do believe in the prophetic today, maybe the wrong blog to comment that... I am a mama and a wife that is a HUGE calling. My biggest mission field is my family. But I also feel that I am called to redeem the world for Christ, specifically the visual arts. The church is afraid of them and that has to change. God is THE creator and I am a reflection of Him. I dont knock myself out about it everyday, God will give me the strength I need to work it out w/ diligence. May we all have a reason to step out of our everyday and find a something specific that God needs us (YOU) to do to advance the Kingdom of God.

I agree w/Katie - well said. I know Andy and I have been specifically called into the inner-city at this point in our lives and I've been specifically called to teach and to work w/children. I know this.

Family is a high calling, but not an only calling. With how extremely time- & energy-consuming having children is, it's easy to make family an idol. I think it's important to include kids in other work as well, thus training them to serve while at the same time instilling in them the conviction they aren't the center of the universe.

I've been thinking a lot about the Holy Spirit the last few years. I think we in the PCA tend towards worshipping doctrine and theology and we're missing the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. We see places in Scripture where it says Jesus did no miraculous works b/c the ppl there had no faith. Makes me think about why I haven't seen more amazing miracles in my life. Or maybe why I haven't received certain "words" about my calling or other things.