Once we’ve learned how to steward our lives and our interactions with others, we begin to see our lives align with the calling God has laid out for us. As we will see, only once our lives are brought under proper alignment, personally and relationally, can we fully embrace our calling.

In the first article of this series, we discussed how the disciplines of self-awareness, self-management and self-preparedness result in proper stewardship of our own lives. The second article illustrated the importance of disciplining our character, relationships and generosity to steward our interactions with others.

This article will focus on the three disciplines that comprise the stewardship of our calling.

Discipline of Learning

The discipline of learning is the foundation for following our calling. A posture of learning allows us to live in an adaptable manner. If we aren’t intentional about lifelong learning, we will lose our relevance and squander the opportunities God places in front of us.

As the 21st century moves at a dizzying rate, if we refuse to adapt to the changes around us, we lose the ability to reevaluate our lives and leadership skills in the context in which we live. Furthermore, we fail to improve in personal and relational areas.

We must cultivate an appetite for continually learning to approach life’s challenges in ways that address the needs around us. When we are prepared, we notice the opportunities to engage in the ever-changing world in which we live.

Discipline of Opportunity

The discipline of opportunity is where personal stewardship, relational maturity and learning intersect. When you stay aware of what could be next, you will resist the natural tendency to grow stagnant and complacent.

When Rick Warren first went to Southern California years ago, many considered him a renegade. Though educated in a traditional environment, his entrepreneurial approach to ministry was controversial. Some people resisted Warren’s approach because they tend to resist anything that doesn’t resonate with the past. Others resisted because they didn’t want Warren to prove that a different way of doing things might not only work, but might be wildly successful.

A few people cheered Warren on, and ultimately, Saddleback Church was born and has become a standard bearer and game changer in the church community. Warren’s passion, perseverance, resourcefulness, open-mindedness and awareness enabled him to respond to opportunities.

In the same way, these entrepreneurial tendencies will prepare you to recognize and respond to the “aha” moments that come your way. An active entrepreneurial approach will help you connect the dots and see opportunities as they develop. The more you do this, the more you will see your God-given divine design in action. Such leaders are prepared to engage the opportunities that arise.

Discipline of Missional Living

The opportunities you act on should mesh with your sense of mission and purpose. This is the discipline of missional living. The more clearly you understand your mission, the better prepared you will be to make decisions.

People who live with courage and conviction will see God do great things.

One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page is a valuable tool for focusing on one element of your life. I’ve used their one-word process to help me live within my mission.

In 2011, my one word was “listening.” I was determined to position myself to truly listen to God, my family, colleagues and so forth. Listening was important because there were so many things in my life in need of God’s direction and clarity. Out of that process came many of the principles and values that still guide our organization and my life today. 

In 2012, my words were “courage” and “conviction.” People who live with courage and conviction will see God do great things. The Bible is full of stories of people who had conviction and who took action.

Paul faced hostile situations; yet he never backed down. Jesus repeatedly faced opposition from the Pharisees but stuck to His convictions. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood up to Nebuchadnezzar while realizing the king had the power to put them to death. The more I focused on courage and conviction, the more those qualities developed in my life.

Then, 2013 was my year of “intentional” living. Everyone lives, but how many people live with a sense of purpose? This was the question that motivated me to be more intentional. It required a keen sense of awareness and purpose. I couldn’t go through the motions of just doing life; I had to understand the value of the things I was doing.

We must pay attention to the moments we have each day, the people in our lives and the whispers of God. This self-awareness, a discipline from the stewardship of self, enables us to live missionally.

Discipline Keeps You on Target

If we don’t maintain awareness of our context, we may end up living out someone else’s mission.

In his book Chazown, Craig Groeschel shares the story of what happened during the 2004 Summer Olympics with the American athlete Matthew Emmons. On track for the gold in the 50-meter, three-position rifle final, Emmons was up for his final shot. He was so far ahead of the other competitors that all he had to do was send a bullet anywhere through the inner ring of the target to seal his gold medal.

Emmons prepared himself mentally. He paused his breathing. He took aim. Then he fired. The bullet passed right through the bull’s-eye, but he was puzzled when the tone indicating a hit didn’t sound. Emmons then realized that the bull’s-eye he had hit was on the wrong target. He dropped from first to eighth place.

The right shot hit the wrong target.

One day you’ll stand before a greater Judge than any who has officiated at the Olympics. What will you say if He tells you that, in your life, you hit the wrong target? What if He says you weren’t a good steward of His divine design?

To prepare for that day, you’ll want to make sure you have the right disciplines in place now.