How to Do What You are Called to Do Without Failing {aka an #Allume lesson}

It’s been a week and a half since I got back from Allume {a blogging conference for women}.  I expected to come home and share quickly what I learned and how God moved on my heart during those 3 days but God wrecked my heart a few times and processing it all has been challenging.

I wondered what the conference would hold for me. I tried hard not to have expectations other than God meeting me and speaking direction to my heart.  He did.  He went beyond that.

As a blogger you can get pretty lost in all of the “to dos of blogging.”  It’s a list that every blogging conference confirms: promote your blog, use social media, comment on other blogs, guest post, connect, build relationship.  It’s not a bad list and it does yield results but it may not yield any success if you aren’t supposed to be doing those things.

At Allume the theme that kept coming up over and over for me was be intentional, use your time wisely, don’t waste what you have been given in time.  It was a bit frustrating because for the last 2 years I have felt like I have been on the fastest roller coaster in the world with no stop to get off.  I have tried so desperately to be intentional, purposeful, with my life and time.  I KNOW that God has called me to blog even in the midst of raising 6 kids and being a loving wife but honestly, it can be so difficult sometimes to do.

I have watched blogger after blogger burn out.  They felt called to write at one point or another but then the demands of it took time away from their families and they couldn’t find the balance so they had to lay it down…completely.  I admit to wondering time and time again if I should lay it down but every time I do I hear a clear “no.”  I have had seasons of laying it down but never felt the necessity of letting it go.  But it scares me honestly that there is such burnout among bloggers, especially moms.

So as I listened to the encouragement to keep going and be wise with my time at Allume my heart was torn.  “God why do so many women struggle with this, myself included?” and what God spoke to me was a swift and absolute answer.  “Do what I told you to do.”  When I think back to the beginning of my blogging journey I remember that God called me to write. Every day.  He said “Write everyday.  Live your life and blog along the way.”  He never said to catch up with Mrs. Jones who has been blogging for years.  He never said promote yourself like crazy.  He never said “you have to connect.”  He just said “write.” 

And I remembered how God is interested in our hearts.  Do we trust Him with what He has called us to?  Will we be faithful to obey? Even if it isn’t the way it looks for someone else?

Of course I had the potential to burnout because I cannot expect that God will bless, protect and grow what He never asked me to do. He equips us faithfully for our calling.  We falter when we leave Him behind thinking that we’ve got it now and know how to do it.

My calling may be different from yours.  You may not even be called to blog. You may be called to blog and promote and work long hours to make money at it.  You may be called to connect like crazy.  BUT if you aren’t you should stop.  I had to stop.

Let me leave you with a verse that God has been speaking to my heart over and over. Psalms 23:1 says:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Another version says …I have everything I need.  Is the Lord your shepherd?  You have everything you need.  Your calling is enough for you.  But get this: in the Hebrew the word translated “want” also means to fail or (cause to) fail.  So you could also read it like this: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not fail…

Make the Lord the shepherd over your calling.  Do only what He asks you to do.  Guard it and your time diligently and You cannot fail.  He won’t let you!