On Finding Your Vocation

A step by step guide.

I’ve been talking a lot lately about a man’s duty to find and pursue his vocation, both in my articles and in ChristianVitality. In the book I mention some ways in which you can start to clear the fog from your eyes and start seeing the path more clearly, but I realized I had never specifically detailed how a man should go about finding his vocation in a world in which he will not accidentally stumble upon it.

That’s the first thing you need to realize. This world is not constructed so that all men find the purpose they are to pursue. On the contrary, in a world so deeply poisoned by the lies of the enemy, unless we make a conscious, voluntary effort to find our vocation under God, we will forever be victims of inertia, drifting aimlessly and walking all sorts of wrong ways.

Of course that finding a vocation is a unique process for every man. We all live wildly different lives, and it’s impossible to create a perfect process that will be applicable to every man in every circumstance. But I’ll do my best to provide you with a framework that you can use as a blueprint, so that you can start asking the right questions, and hopefully find hidden in the answers the pieces of the puzzle that will eventually shine light on the vocation you should be pursuing.

Aligning your actions to the path God wants you to walk will not only help you bring forth as much good into the world as possible, but also save you from despair, anxiety, and loneliness. A clear vocation will be your shield against the distractions of the world, and your best bet to overcome all the challenges and difficulties of life as a man.

Start with prayer

Like I briefly mentioned at the beginning of this article, the first step to finding your vocation is having the intention to find it. This starts as a conscious, voluntary choice. Most men don’t even make this first step. They never take a moment to ask themselves what it is that lights their soul on fire. We want to change this. And before we take more practical steps, you need to make a choice, open your heart to God, and ask Him to show you the way in prayer. Here’s a helpful prayer I’ve been using to ask God for the virtue of wisdom and for Him to help me walk the correct path.

Lord, help me to see what you want me to see.

Open my eyes to your truth and give me the wisdom necessary to recognize which things are compatible with your plan for me and which aren’t.

God, open the doors you want me to walk through and close those that are not meant for me to cross. Swiftly remove from my life those opportunities and those people that I should leave behind and maintain in it those that will help me get closer to you.

Send the Holy Spirit over me, to give me wisdom, patience, faith, and discernment.

I surrender my will to yours, do with me what you please, and take me where you need me. Take me where I’m useful to your divine plan.

Amen.

You need to open the doors for God to illuminate you, and that starts with asking for the right virtues in prayer. God answers prayer, and as you ask for His help, He’ll give it to you. Be patient, watchful, and faithful, and keep your eyes open to the signs He’ll give you.