Christian Calling at Age 50+: What It’s Like

What is truth, and what is myth about Christian calling at age 50+?

I am a Christian life coach and former pastor who helps people find and fulfill their Christian calling.

Many authors have written books and developed other resources for younger people and those young in the Christian faith on calling and purpose.

But it’s difficult to find resources for older adults in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond who still have a strong sense of calling and want to continue making a difference for Jesus.

That’s why I specialize in coaching people in the second half of life to find and fulfill their Christian calling. Most of the dozens of men and women I’ve coached have been in their late 40s through the mid-70s, though I’ve worked with people on both sides of that age range. The median age of my clients is mid-50s to mid-60s.

All of my age-50+ clients reach out to me because they feel stuck in their strong sense of Christian calling:

Christians age 50+ feel stuck in their Christian calling for one or more of the following reasons:

• Their current Christian calling, whether vocational or volunteer, no longer fulfills them. But they don’t know what to do next.
• Or if they know what to do next, the way forward seems blocked.
• Through the decades, they’ve done several different Christian calling roles, always hoping to eventually discover their “true calling.” But now, at age 50 or better, they wonder if they'll ever find it.
• Retirement, health challenges, job loss, financial downturn, family responsibilities, hurts, failures, or even the consequences of their own sin prevent them from continuing in the Christian calling they dearly love. They fear permanently losing purpose and usefulness.
• They feel they’re fighting against the popular cultural opinion that purpose and meaningful contribution decline near retirement age.
• Because God seems largely silent about their future Christian calling, they wonder whether the best years of their Christian calling are behind them. They don’t want to believe God is “putting on the shelf,” but it feels that way.

All of the above seems bleak, especially when you’ve always had a strong sense of purpose and calling deep in your soul. Because now, at age 50+, it seems that God had big purposes for you all along, and you somehow missed them or blew it, or that He’s just moving on to younger people.

Christian Calling at Age 50+: The Best Is Yet to Come!

However, in fact, any of the above struggles in your Christian calling at age 50+ are GOOD. They are not signs that you’ve blown it. In fact, they are part of God's masterful plan to ramp you up to the next and best level of your Christian calling!

Christian author and coach Tony Stoltzfus has coached hundreds of people on Christian calling over 30+ years. He has also studied the calling journeys of many Bible characters. Stoltzfus identified four “mountains” and three “valleys,” shown below, that Christians usually travel through in their lifetime of Christian calling. You can see Stolzfus’ book at Amazon: The Calling Journey.

From The Calling Journey by Tony Stoltzfus

According to Stoltzfus, each mountain and each valley of a person’s journey of Christian calling lasts several years. The mountains are times of joy and fruitfulness when Christian calling is going well. On a mountaintop, the way to move forward in calling is to build skills and gain experience.

But according to Stoltzfus’ research, the calling valleys are just as important as the calling mountaintops. In the valleys, God prepares us for the next mountaintop by strengthening our character, health, and relationship with Him.

Each of the three Christian calling valleys has a specific purpose: 

• In the first calling valley, which Stoltzfus calls the Valley of Dependence, several years of learning to depend on God follow a mountaintop of success in Christian calling.
• In the second calling Valley, the Valley of Wholeness, God prepares us for the next mountaintop by making us more whole, i.e., by helping us become spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally, and financially healthy.
• The last Christian calling valley, the Valley of Identity—which for most people comes at age 50+—prepares us for the absolute best fit of our lives, aligning who we are with what God has created us to do. Throughout our lives, our Christian calling role changes, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. By the time we’re age 50+, we know more about who we are, what we do well, and what we’re passionate about than ever before. We’ve also grown a lot in our relationship with Christ.

Biblical evidence, Stoltzfus’ research, and modern examples show that the most fulfilling Christian calling often comes after age 50. For specific biblical and modern examples, click this blog: You’re Never Too Old for Christian Calling.

The last Christian calling mountaintop is called the Fulfillment Stage.

In the Fulfillment Stage of Christian calling—which usually occurs after age 50 and can even peak in late senior adulthood—we experience more joy and impact in our Christian calling than ever before. The impact is not always direct, but it is multiplied through others, i.e., via mentoring, coaching, consulting, teaching, encouraging, writing, etc.

Christian Calling at Age 50+: The Great Things God Will Do in the Future

Doesn’t the Fulfillment Stage sound wonderful? Who wouldn’t immediately want it?

But without the Valley of Identity that precedes it, the Fulfillment Stage would be impossible.

The Valley of Identity at age 50+ looks like the bulleted list in the previous section of this blog: 

• Stuck in Christian calling.
• Lack of progress.
• Lack of clarity.
• Lack of direction or even encouragement from God.
• Boredom, frustration, or disillusionment with current calling roles.
• Loss of identity or purpose because of retirement.
• Sometimes, even forced loss of a calling role through termination of a job or a volunteer ministry role.

But the good news is that this is all normal!

You’re not weird because you feel this way. God isn’t punishing you. You haven’t missed your Christian calling.

In fact, you’re about to step into the most significant and fulfilling Christian calling of your life! 

Christian Calling at Age 50+: 6 Steps for How to Move Forward

So, if you’re still reading this blog, you’re probably a 50+-year-old adult struggling with your Christian calling in the Valley of Identity.

As I said before, you’re not off track. You’re not weird. In fact, you’re right where you need to be so that God can grow you into the ultimately fulfilling and impactful Christian calling He created you to fulfill.

How long will you be in the Valley of Identity? When will the Fulfillment Stage of your Christian calling begin?

I don’t know.

But here’s what I do know. We can indeed do certain things to progress well through the Valley of Identity. We can also do things that impede our own progress.

To move forward through the Valley of Identity and into the Fulfillment Stage of Christian calling, I suggest taking the proven steps below. These steps apply—at least to some extent—to ANY Christian calling valley. But they are especially important for Christians age 50+ who are stuck in the Valley of Identity.

I derived the steps below from biblical examples, Tony Stoltzfus’ research, my experiences coaching 100+ people over 10+ years on Christian calling—and my own journey of Christian calling.

In the darkest part of the Valley of Identity, the road seems long. Indeed, it seems impossible. I know. I’ve been there. And in fact, in our own wisdom, strength, and perseverance, it is absolutely impossible.

But that’s the point. Your calling comes from God, not from yourself. Therefore, He will enlighten, empower, and indwell you to fulfill the seemingly impossible calling He has given you. Do your part, and trust God to do His.

• It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. (Ephesians 1:11, MSG)

Christian Calling at Age 50+: Signs That You’re Headed into the Fulfillment Stage of Your Calling

Eventually, as you do the things above, you’ll see exciting signs that you’re moving out of the Valley of Identity and getting closer to the Fulfillment Stage of your Christian calling.

Below are some of those signs, derived from biblical precedent, Tony Stoltzfus’ research, my own experiences coaching dozens of people about Christian calling, and my own Christian calling journey.

Signs that You’re Emerging from Your Valley of Identity into the Fulfillment Stage of Your Christian Calling:

• Joy, hope, light, and fun begin to return, perhaps for the first time in years, or perhaps even in a brand-new way.
• Your focus shifts from almost entirely doing and accomplishing to an easy and delightful mix of being and doing.
• God might give you a few weeks, months, or even years of Sabbatical, just to enjoy and grow in Him, before He launches you into your ultimately fulfilling and impactful Christian calling. Furthermore, you will not feel at all guilty about taking the Sabbatical because of the changes God has wrought in your heart.
• For the first time in a long time, you start to gain clarity about the details of your Christian calling in the Fulfillment Stage—and even some strategies for moving toward it.
• Your relationship with God becomes uniquely personal, unlike any other person’s on the planet. You’re confident He loves you, likes you, approves of you, and enjoys spending time with you.
• You value your relationship with God more than your Christian calling, and more than any relationship, worldview, philosophy, lifestyle, or thing. In fact, you realize that if you had only God and nothing else, that would be enough. Your passion for your current relationships, calling, etc., will not diminish. In fact, those passions will be enhanced by your new relationship with God. And with that will come incredible strength, joy, and peace.
  
  

Persevere to Fulfillment in Your Christian Calling!

I prayed for you as I wrote this blog. I know how painful it is to feel stuck in the Valley of Identity in your Christian calling because I’ve been there.

If you would like more information about how my coaching might help you move forward in your Christian calling, click this link: Christian Coaching. My specialty is helping people—especially (but not exclusively) those age 50+—find and fulfill their Christian calling and grow in Christ.

Or check out my online course, Christian Calling Quest, which helps people age 50+ move into and get the most out of the Fulfillment Stage of their lifelong Christian Calling Journey.

God bless you as you find and fulfill your Christian calling! It’s great to be on this journey with you!

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