In a 2016 interview with Greg Ayers of IFWE, we talk about how redemption includes regaining the hearts, minds, and souls of God’s people, but it doesn’t stop there. Redemption is about creation regained! Work, play, food, drink, relationships, art, music, and more. Our callings are intended to take us into the places where our passions intersect with the world’s needs.

Why does suffering have to be connected to calling? Four reasons come immediately to mind: We suffer because we are image bearers. We suffer because we sin. We suffer because we are being equipped. We suffer because it is ordained. Joy and suffering are inseparably linked and of great eternal value. The Lord allows both as we need them. Embrace both. Waste neither.

God created the world in beauty and perfection. Sin shattered that world, but could not destroy it. As a result, we are surrounded by beauty and brokenness every day. In his sovereignty and grace, God uses both joy and suffering to shape us and give us hope. Why joy? To understand the gift of joy in our lives, we should look at four main themes.

Knowing what lies ahead is crucial to every undertaking. In the days of wooden sailing ships, men often spent time in the crow’s nest. Now, Marines send out recon teams, aircrafts use radar, ships use sonar, parents talk to friends with older children, children talk to older friends, and businesses use predictive analytics. Everyone wants to know what lies ahead.

To pursue our callings, or run the race, we must know where we are going. Our starting point for calling is at the end of creation. Similarly, to discover our mission in calling, to tell the gospel story, we need to explore the end of the Gospel. These directions are found in Matthew 28:18-20, the “Great Commission,” which calls us to this: Be disciples – Make disciples – Go

In a world overwhelmingly shattered by brokenness, we are called to bring redemption. This is the biblically-defined starting block that sets us up perfectly to begin our race, our calling. But where do we go? “Bringing redemption” is a little broad in scope, and a bit daunting! In this part of this series, the question changes from “Where do we start?” to “Where do we go?”

When it comes to discerning calling, starting blocks are the most critical component of every race. Some might be in favor of the shoes, the track, the years of training, or even the runner. While all play a crucial role, I want to draw your attention to the power of starting blocks, because without the right starting blocks, you cannot run the right race.