Some of the things we learn in life we receive through our leaders and their example of faith. I am thankful that I got the opportunity to learn from our regional director, Pastor Eman Doce. What resonated well with me from our meeting is how growing in our calling never stops. 

We have different stories of how we receive God’s call in our life to serve Him through different vocations. For Pastor Eman, he was reached out on campus and built strong relationships with people who mentored and helped him follow Jesus Christ.

When he realized that students need a kuya to guide them and be with them, that burden, along with confirmation from his leaders and mentors, clarified that God was calling him to do campus ministry as a vocation. Pursuing God’s call in his life didn’t come easy. A few months after he went through the initial training, he encountered personal challenges. He received offers to work abroad as a nurse, as well as an opportunity to put up a business. What made him decide to stay the course was knowing that full-time ministry was what God called him to. Eight years later, despite turning down more lucrative offers, Pastor Eman can attest that God is indeed faithful. 

How do we discover what God called us to pursue in life? Pastor Eman has this to say: “Pursue your primary calling—have an intimate relationship with God.” 

At the end of the day, there is more to our calling than just our vocation. The truth is God can bring us to several vocations in our lifetime. Knowing the vocation God calls us into is vital, as well. The key to staying in His purpose and calling for each season, regardless of circumstance, is in our primary calling of abiding in Christ. Our devotion to God will result in an overflow to our relationships and to our work. 

As we nurture our relationship with God, it is important to guard our daily devotion and time with Him. Here’s what Pastor Eman shared that helped him stick to God’s calling for him: daily devotion, weekly rest (yes, rest!), and monthly solitude. He also added that we can learn to say no to some things, but be ready with a solution. We are to receive what we can carry and evaluate how we pace our life. We also need to learn to manage tensions, because they will always be present. We will be able to navigate all these well when we guard our primary calling of being intimate with our God.

God has a unique calling for all of us. Listening to Him, realigning yourself constantly to His purpose, and responding to His call without delay will enable you to make the most of the great adventure that God has planned just for you.
Pastor Eman Doce can be reached through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eman.doce) or Instagram @emandoce.