You Are Called to ‘Be’

Something so supernaturally basic, implies Os Guinness, is the call of gifting over our lives. We are called to be. This makes sense as soon as we become ‘lost’ in a thing that captivates both imagination and passion.

All things meet in the purpose of the human being as they do what they are. Life has suddenly made sense, and it could never be more meaningful. Sadly for so many, the passion to find what to ‘be’ has eluded. There could hardly be a worse continuous outcome for life than to run foul of purpose.

Ameliorating Obsession

There are some that sit at the opposite extreme. They’ve not only found what they’re called to be, they do it with such rigorous intent the rest of the world is left behind.

Their ‘commitment’ to the thing they’re called to do has two features: 1) it presents as an uncontrollable addiction, and 2) it is selfishly deployed. In other words, the calling serves very little of others’ interests as there’s mainly personal gain being had.

When we have others in mind, the obsession is tempered; it becomes a tool in the hand of a craftsman, not some out-of-control behemoth. And there’s nothing wrong with ‘addiction-to-purpose’ so long as it’s tempered this way. It has permission to be eccentric. All impassioned callings threaten to take us to the edge and over into an abyss when we’re not careful.

Finding and Then Living the Call

Graham Greene says in The Power and the Glory (cited in Guinness), “There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”

The trouble for us is 1) recall of the time and detail of that moment, and 2) having the courage to chase down our calling—that feature of our hearts that’s worn on a way of being.

It is a premise of God—and a feature of life—that when we seek to find our way, we do. It comes to us eventually. The trouble is we lack faith and we give up not halfway there.

Sight is a key to both these problems. For the first problem we don’t see, and we therefore struggle for the faith to find. The second problem relies on believing what we see so, in courage. That is, to go forth in this venture, despite fears.

Being Our “Be”

It almost sounds too simple. Learning to rest in who we’re to be is the overall goal of life. This, as mentioned above, is about finding our heart for activity in life, but in ways that serves the greater good (i.e., others around us).

So, being our “be” is about living what we love doing, whilst at the same time blessing others in the service of doing it.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

Further Reading: Os Guinness, “Do What You Are,” in The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life (Nashville, Tennessee: W Publishing Group, 1998, 2003), pp. 43-53.