Do you yearn to see the Big Picture of your divine calling?
How do all of the pieces of your life … your victories and failures, experiences, and gifts … fit together for one Big Reveal of God’s grand purposes for your life?
There is indeed a resource that can help you get that perspective!
Tony Stoltzfus is a 35-year veteran Christian life coach who has helped hundreds of people fulfill their divine calling. He has discovered a predictable life-long journey of peaks and valleys that most Christians navigate to find their divine calling (shown below, with permission).
Your divine calling is a journey, not a destination.
Your calling journey has peaks, when you feel more like you are living your divine calling. But it also has valleys, when you feel like you are getting further away from your calling.
Every part of your calling journey has a purpose.
During the peaks of your calling journey, God develops your talents, gifts, and strengths. You learn what you do well, and you get better at doing them. And you learn what you don’t do well.
But during the valleys, God communicates your unique Life Message to you.
Your divine calling is a Life Message that you embody, not just a job that you complete.
Your Life Message is what God says to you during your most difficult times … the times when you feel like your divine calling might be slipping away forever.
And your Life Message is what God wants you to share with the world!
Here are some examples of Life Messages from my clients:
“God is in control.”
“God loves me more than I ever imagined.”
“God heals.”
My own life message is: “God has a purpose.” So it’s no wonder that I help people find His purposes in their lives!
You will probably do many different roles to fulfill your divine calling.
You might think that your divine calling is finding that one specific thing that God wants you to do. But what if that were true? If you got off track, then you’d never fulfill your calling!
Instead, your divine calling is to passionately live and share your Life Message! And there are lots of ways you can do that. What a relief!
It is never too late or too early to fulfill your divine calling!
Your divine calling is to be fully who you are, and to passionately share your Life Message with the world, fully engaging your personality, gifts, and passions.
If you are a senior adult, no matter how much you’ve messed up, or whatever your health or financial status, it is never too late to fulfill your divine calling!
If you are a young adult, don’t get discouraged if you don’t know yet what your Life Message is. God is already developing it!
If you are in midlife, it’s common to start feeling like time is running out. But it’s never too late!
In fact, Stoltzfus discovered that most people don’t hit the sweet spot of divine calling until age 50 and beyond!
The best is yet to come!
God WILL lead you and empower you for His purposes in His Kingdom!
To discover your current divine calling stage, learn how to navigate through it, and discover your own unique Life Message, click here for info about how to order Tony Stoltzfus’ book The Calling Journey.
Feel free to comment or ask questions below.
I am now 33 years working for engineers. I will be 65 at the end of the year and leaving the University. It felt like I’ve totally missed my calling. In fact, I am not even sure whether I should have been here. To be honest did I waste my life and time?
I don’t believe so. Whether you started following Christ long ago or recently, God works through and encourages Christian calling at all ages. Nothing is wasted in His economy.
Thank you very much RJ Scherba for your words. Personally have been wanting to hear from God so as to know exactly what HE wants me to become in life. I have the gift of teaching, am able to from different topics to teach to the body of Christ, I also wrote a book HOW TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOl it is purely a scriptural book and I also run a charity organization here in my community. Can I possibly get a different calling from his gifts deposited in me?. I will be grateful to hear from you. Thank you
Hi, Atas,
It’s wonderful that you are seeking God’s guidance! Your calling in Christ is first of all WHO He has uniquely created you to BE. Then second is WHAT He has created you to DO. Throughout life, there might be multiple ways that you can live your purpose in Him. Are you sensing a change in your role? That is entirely possible and normal!
R.J.
I find your information very helpful.. I’m in a new season of rebuilding. my wife and I were elders in a church 18 years ago. The pastor was my best friend. We tried to give our honest input as elders but it was not well received by the pastor. He resisted us and took every chance to discourage and humiliate us. We eventually left the church. We found out later that he wrote a book and identified us as power hungry and pushing our way into eldership. He said we were not qualified and should have stayed in our place. It has been very difficult to rebuild and regain any sense of value. I’m 68 and still feel like God has a calling on my life. Please pray for me. Thank you,John
Thank you for sharing your story, John. God does indeed love and value you, and I know He will continue His Kingdom purposes through you and your wife. God bless!
Thank you very much RJ Scherba for your words. Personally have been wanting to hear from God so as to know exactly what HE wants me to become in life. I have the gift of teaching, am able to from different topics to teach to the body of Christ, I also wrote a book HOW TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOl it is purely a scriptural book and I also run a charity organization here in my community. Can I possibly get a different calling from his gifts deposited in me?. I will be grateful to hear from you. Thank you
Atas, I apologize that I missed your message from a few years ago, probably due to a technical glitch. If you receive this message, please let me know how you are doing and how God is working in your life.
Hi R.J.
I’m very interested in reading your blogs. I feel many Christians haven’t taken the first step in discovering their life message, which is learning their spiritual gifts. I love that your website helps direct people to take the next step: What is your mission from God? God’s plan for my life is based on Isaiah 50:4, “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the Word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” God has gifted me to be an encourager. At age 65, I created a website (www.sparklinghope.net) to inspire and encourage parents, grandparents and caregivers of special needs kids and adults. I am loving this season of my life as I continue to live out God’s purpose for my life. I look forward to reading your future blogs! Thanks for your ministry!
Hello, Betsy!
It’s wonderful to hear about people like you, living their calling and making such a difference in the world! Thank you for telling me! I enjoyed reading about you on your website, and I was struck with the joy of your graphics and words, especially considering the challenges you have faced. Way to go! By the way, where is the picture of the waterfall on your homepage? It looks like Colorado!
It’s great to connect!
R.J.
Hi R.J.
I’m very interested in reading your blogs. I feel many Christians haven’t taken the first step in discovering their life message, which is learning their spiritual gifts. I love that your website helps direct people to take the next step: What is your mission from God? God’s plan for my life is based on Isaiah 50:4, “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the Word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” God has gifted me to be an encourager. At age 65, I created a website (www.sparklinghope.net) to inspire and encourage parents, grandparents and caregivers of special needs kids and adults. I am loving this season of my life as I continue to live out God’s purpose for my life. I look forward to reading your future blogs! Thanks for your ministry!
Betsy, I believe I responded via email to your message when you wrote it a few years ago. However, I ran across it here and realized I did not answer it here. I want to encourage you again in your calling. God bless!
I’m not sure if this is my life message, but over the past couple of years this has been a powerful truth for me and to those to whom I minister: “Life happens. How I respond to my circumstances either gives God glory or Satan power in my life. I choose to give God the glory no matter what the circumstances appear to be at the time.”
That certainly sounds like a life message, Sue. You do indeed live that, and you help others to do the same! Great to hear!
I’m not sure if this is my life message, but over the past couple of years this has been a powerful truth for me and to those to whom I minister: “Life happens. How I respond to my circumstances either gives God glory or Satan power in my life. I choose to give God the glory no matter what the circumstances appear to be at the time.”
That certainly sounds like a life message, Sue. You do indeed live that, and you help others to do the same! Great to hear!
Great advice Sue!
Yes, indeed, Sue. And you practice what you preach! 🙂
R.J. this is your best advertisment to date!! Very well written! Poweful! Complelling! I took advantage of your free (30) min. phone conversation with you months ago & stay abreast of your regular emails, but really wasn’t moved to work with you. However after reading your latest email I’m believing theres something I can gain from association with you.
I believe I have a similar gifting as yourself. “Jesus never built a bldg, He built people!” I want to be a builder of men!
I am somewhat familiar with Tony Stoltzfus’ work & planned to invest in checking out his products some day. I am encouraged you are aware of him. I believe Tonys’ method of coaching is very much in line with the methods of Jesus & I think if pastors ministered in this fashion what a job they could do for the body of Christ & the kingdom. As a matter of fact I am so impressed with Tonys methods I would love to become a pastor to be able to more effectively impliment what Tony preaches. I see a tremendous need for pastors who would pastor like this.
Again congratulations on your superb communication through writing & may God take you higher & higher.
STAY ENCOURAGED…
Thank you, Bro. Phil! It is good to hear from you again. It seems that your clarity and passion for your divine calling has grown. Sure, let’s follow up. I will email you tomorrow. (I am away from email for the rest of today.)
Bro. Phil, I did email you, but you might have a different email that you had before. If you didn’t receive my email, just use the Contact tab at the top of this web page to reach me.
R.J. this is your best advertisment to date!! Very well written! Poweful! Complelling! I took advantage of your free (30) min. phone conversation with you months ago & stay abreast of your regular emails, but really wasn’t moved to work with you. However after reading your latest email I’m believing theres something I can gain from association with you.
I believe I have a similar gifting as yourself. “Jesus never built a bldg, He built people!” I want to be a builder of men!
I am somewhat familiar with Tony Stoltzfus’ work & planned to invest in checking out his products some day. I am encouraged you are aware of him. I believe Tonys’ method of coaching is very much in line with the methods of Jesus & I think if pastors ministered in this fashion what a job they could do for the body of Christ & the kingdom. As a matter of fact I am so impressed with Tonys methods I would love to become a pastor to be able to more effectively impliment what Tony preaches. I see a tremendous need for pastors who would pastor like this.
Again congratulations on your superb communication through writing & may God take you higher & higher.
STAY ENCOURAGED…
Thank you, Bro. Phil! It is good to hear from you again. It seems that your clarity and passion for your divine calling has grown. Sure, let’s follow up. I will email you tomorrow. (I am away from email for the rest of today.)
Bro. Phil, I did email you, but you might have a different email that you had before. If you didn’t receive my email, just use the Contact tab at the top of this web page to reach me.