What is the meaning of life? About vocation of a person

Vocation of a person is a strong urge, desire, or sense of duty that impels a person to do a particular job. This is the definition given by the Oxford Dictionary. [2]

Vocation is often associated with the work of a lifetime, in the context of how a person wants to live this life. When you know what your "hands are for", in which work you can best express yourself, where you notice that you get pleasure and the efforts spent provide support for a valuable result. Some say that the appeal is also a work from which a person receives aesthetic pleasure, that it is where a person manifests his strengths, and that it is a concept during which time becomes invisible. They also say that a person should plant a tree, raise a son and build a house during his lifetime (although in reality this is not always the case 😊 ). However, a vocation in a spiritual context is something more. It is not just a work. In a spiritual sense, it is an understanding of your uniqueness for God, that you were born with a unique trait. It is like being able to see yourself as the Lord sees you, with the perspective of a whole life. This is how you should live this life. Other questions, as I understand it. This is what I will devote the rest of this article to.

The meaning of life

The question of vocation is often intertwined with the question of the meaning of a person's life. In seeking an answer to the question of vocation, a person touches on the question "What is the meaning of his existence?" That is, how God sees his vocation, and what a person should put into this world and how he should appear in human history in the sacred dimension of this word. If nothing, then for what purpose does he exist: in order to simply be happy, or to understand something? In a certain sense, yes. But also in order to know God (mainly, the Son of God, who died for his sins, so that he could have eternal life with God). After all, we are people, spiritual beings, and our existence is measured by eternity. Therefore, in this sense, a person exists for the sake of an eternal relationship with God, although he may reject this idea. However, this is exactly the case: the eternal God created an eternal person.

The Bible teaches that there is no person without a calling [1]. God has a specific plan for each person. Let us recall the biblical story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was thrown into a pit by his brothers, and his life seemed to have lost its meaning. And after the merchants pulled him out of the pit and Joseph became a steward in the house of the Egyptian Pharaoh, he saved his entire family from famine later in life in this way. [2]

Since there is no person without a calling, then we, created in the image of God, should understand that life should be viewed from the perspective of eternity. “But why is that?” you may ask. I would give the following answer: because one day we will leave this life, and after each of us something important will remain - namely, that others will remember us, and talk about us, and God will evaluate how we lived this life (1 Corinthians 3:11-16).

I once read Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Interestingly, the second important habit that the author outlines - "Start with a Goal in Mind" - tells us that we should imagine the ultimate goal before we set something as a goal. In this section, the author focuses the reader's attention on how, after a life lived, during a funeral procession, others remember the deceased person who lived a life. After all, depending on how they lived their life, they are remembered.

That is why, before setting yourself a big life goal, it is worth reflecting on it, asking God about it in prayer. And then God will somehow make you understand where to move in life. Yes, nothing will work out without personal action. Think about the God-given gifts and abilities that He has given you, and develop them. God will endow you with people with whom you will build relationships (not necessarily in professional activities). Relationships are often understood as marriage - that life ship of two people who live according to God's vision (although there are cases when a person embodies the calling while single). It is in marriage that you can realize your life calling in synergy with your beloved or beloved, and thus bring to life what the Lord calls you to.

To a large extent, the meaning of human life is to learn to love (Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7). After all, many things grow from love, and the fruits of true love are always good. We remember from God's word that Jesus speaks of the first two most important commandments - to love God and our neighbor. We learn this throughout our lives. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that if a thing is done without love, it loses its meaning.

Eventually, a moment may come in a person's life when he realizes: "This is exactly what I was called to do".

Sometimes the question of the meaning of our life is a question of our life discovery. I personally had moments when I lived through certain periods of life, and later began to understand that God is not just leading me through certain circumstances so that I could get to know Him better.

Values

The matter of vocation reflects a person’s values. A person’s values ​​shape a person. When a person realizes his value in God, he begins to wonder in what exactly it is manifested (in what activity, in what relationships with people, etc.). Thus, we can realize our vocation precisely as something based on our values. If a person realizes his value and God’s love for him, he somehow begins to discover that his vocation has already been laid down by God and he needs to discover it, find it, realize it, and ultimately, test himself in one or another matter. Sometimes, after realizing his vocation, a person radically changes his life, but most often in a moderate way (in my experience).

You can ask the question: “What if a person’s values ​​are evil?” The answer to this question is that a person has not discovered his true vocation in God, or has rejected his true vocation. Then a person has actually fallen away from his or her foundation, and what God calls him or her to do throughout life becomes unimportant to him or her.

Proactivity

Without personal work, labor, there will be no progress. In the book "7 Habits...", Stephen Covey notes proactivity as the first skill necessary to move towards a goal. Indeed, without persistent activity, it will not be possible to realize the work of life.

Periods of changes

Sometimes in life, unexpected changes happen. When everything in life was going according to plan; it would seem that you were moving towards your calling, but everything has changed so that you no longer have the opportunity to do so. Now, such a turning point for many Ukrainians is the war. In such cases, you should not despair. Perhaps your past work and past achievements now serve to move towards your calling now in a different environment or circumstances. Continue to be in prayer and know that the Lord is the Lord of love, He will not leave you. Ask God what He expects from you and what path He wants to lead you.

Used sources:
1. How to Discover Your Calling. A Practical Guide (in Ukrainian)
2. How to find your calling and what to do next (in Ukrainian)
3. Joseph, the son of Jacob