The Reason You’re Here
You’ve got a purpose—yeah, YOU!
It’s the reason you’re here.
And you’ve got a calling too—yeah, I’m still talking to YOU!
Your calling is the road and pathway you take to fulfill your purpose.
The best part about purpose and calling?
🫵 You don’t need to figure everything out overnight.
🫵 And finding God will help you find the answers . . .
You know what else?
In this blog, I’m breaking it ALL down:
✅ What purpose and calling mean,
✅ How they’re connected,
✅ And how to find yours if you’re feeling stuck.
By the end, (I pray) you’ll have clarity AND real steps to discover what’s next for you. Let’s go! 🚀
Purpose Vs. Calling
Okay, here’s the difference between purpose and calling:
Purpose is your why.
It’s the big picture—the reason you exist.
| To me, purpose is all about how you can make the world a better place by being you! I don’t think purpose changes either. But I do believe with time and experience you’ll have more AHA moments about yourself and your purpose. Many things can help you fulfill your purpose too. 📌 Key takeaway: Purpose is the big reason you’re here on Earth. |
Calling is your how.
It’s the specific roles, actions, or paths that take you to your purpose.
| I think your calling can change and show up in different ways, but your purpose stays the same. 📌 Key takeaway: Calling is how you live out your pupose. |
Think of Purpose and Calling like this:
Calling = The vehicle 🚗 and the path📍
Purpose = The destination 🚦
Let’s bring this all together . . .
If your purpose is the destination, your calling is the way you travel.
👣 Maybe you start walking, switch to a bike, and later fly in a plane.
👣 Or maybe you start out on one road, stop by a quaint bed and breakfast, then make your way to a new highway.
Your calling is the way you travel (okay?)—like those different roads, stops, and paths along the way. And each way can help you get closer to where you’re supposed to go (the destination aka your purpose)!
Purpose and Calling IRL
Now, that we’ve defined purpose and calling—let’s talk about how they work together in real life (IRL).
Tap each bullet below for examples.
To bring hope to others
🚦Someone reading this has a purpose to bring hope to people who feel lost. 🚗 This shows up as a calling where they become a therapist, create uplifting content online, or even mentor others through hard seasons.
To inspire creativity
🚦Someone else has a purpose to inspire creativity. 🚗 This may lead them to share DIY projects on social media, design cool graphics, or even teach their gift in a class. See how their calling shows up in many ways?
To care for nature
🚦Someone else reading this has a purpose to care for the environment. 🚗 So, their calling leads them to start a community garden, lead clean-up efforts, or innovate eco-friendly products.
To entertain
🚦Someone reading this may have a purpose to entertain others through sports or arts—🚗 and their calling may bring them to play sports, podcast about sports, or become a brand ambassador.
To minister their faith
🚦 Someone else has a purpose to minister their faith—🚗 and their calling leads them to serve in a church or charity, write faith-based content, or help others find spiritual clarity.
Notice something?
There’s a common thread with purpose . . . 🧵
(Hint: Purpose doesn’t change)
Depending on where you are in life or what opportunities come your way—the calling might change, but purpose stays the same.
Did you see yourself anywhere in those examples?
📌 DISCOVERY EXERCISE:
Name one thing you know about your purpose. Now, write how your calling carries you to your purpose.
✨ What if you don’t know your purpose (yet)? That’s okay! Write that down along with today’s date. Why? Because knowing you don’t know is still progress. And TODAY marks the start of your journey to discover your purpose—and all the amazing ways your calling will show up. 🫂🙏🏽
What to Do If You Feel Stuck
Now, if you don’t know your purpose or calling . . .
Let’s figure it out.
Because here’s what can happen when you don’t know or feel stuck . . .
🚧 You feel like you’re going in circles with no direction.
🆚 You compare yourself to everyone else, which makes it worse.
😒 Jealousy creeps in when others seem ahead.
Don’t believe me? I’ll break it down in this cautionary tale about two brothers.
A Cautionary Bible Story
In Genesis 4, we meet two brothers, Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd. They both brought gifts to God—Cain brought crops, and Abel brought the best from his flock.
God accepted Abel’s gift but not Cain’s. This made Cain angry. God saw Cain’s emotions and gave him some advice:
The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why does your face look sad? You know that if you do what is right, I will accept you. But if you don’t, sin is ready to attack you. That sin will want to control you, but you must control it.” (Easy-to-Read Version)
You can find the conversation in Genesis 4:6-7.
Now, instead of listening, Cain let anger take over and killed his brother. Ugh. 😔
❌❌❌ But that’s NOT all. Cain’s anger and jealousy led to a curse. God told Cain that the land he worked would no longer produce crops and that he’d be a restless wanderer (Genesis 4:11-12).
Sidebar: Imagine the gift that gave you purpose no longer having meaning. 🥺😮💨
But back to the story. What if Cain had listened to God’s advice instead? Imagine if he had prayed:
‘God, what do You want from me? Can You show me how to give You an offering You’ll accept? Help me do what’s right.’
☝️ That prayer could have been a game changer. 👏👏 But Cain didn’t. And that’s why his story reminds me what happens when we let jealousy or comparison distract us from our own purpose and calling.
📌 Key takeaway . . .
One big reason I shared that story is to make this point:
✅ Knowing your purpose can help you avoid comparison and jealousy.
✅ Knowing your purpose can also help you stay focused on your path instead of worrying about everyone else’s.
Finding Clarity in the Middle of Doubt
I remember there was a time in my life when things felt…off.
I was working hard, juggling work and life, while trying to create content for myself and clients. But no matter how much I did, it felt like I was running in place. I started to question if I was even on the right track. Because I felt what I was doing didn’t matter.
One day, feeling completely stuck—empty, no ideas, no spark—I decided to stop trying to figure it out solo. No more guessing for me. I wanted answers, so I started asking God questions.
Somewhere along the way, I reached for my old notes and there was something waiting for me—to reignite my fire. A note I wrote to myself: When you want to quit, consider how worse off the world would be without your gift. Whoa. That one thing hit me hard.
I remembered why I started The Smoking Prophet, how God gave my life SO much meaning and how I wanted to help others find their purpose—to find their spark too. Because I love to inspire, guide, and unite others with what makes them special. I was doing this, but somewhere along the way, I’d let pressures, expectations, and comparison cloud my focus. Because of that I wasn’t aligned with my purpose anymore, and that was why I felt so stuck.
Looking back, I realize a few things…
Being stuck wasn’t a dead end—it was an invitation to pray and pivot.
Once I saw that cheat code and shifted my mindset, it was game over! 🎮
Here’s how you can do that too.
5 Steps to Discover Your Purpose and Calling
1️⃣ Pray. Seriously, prayer is an underused spiritual tool and gateway to God. So, pray and talk to God—He’s listening. Are you?
2️⃣ Ask Yourself Questions.
Tap here for FIVE discovery questions . . .
‣ Your strengths are clues to your purpose! What’s something people always say you’re great at?
‣ Time to lean into what you’re naturally good at and love doing. What natural talents or gifts do you have?
‣ I uncovered my purpose by leaning into what I loved. What makes you lose track of time?
‣ This question can help you identify what problems you’re called to solve. What do people always ask for your help with at work, school, or wherever you spend lots of time?
‣ Sometimes we overlook what we’re good at because it feels so easy for us. What feels easy for you but hard for others?
3️⃣ Look for Patterns. What moments make you feel most alive? Write them down.
4️⃣ Take Action. Volunteer, say yes to some new things, or say yes to something you’ve avoided.
5️⃣ Find a Mentor. The right guidance can change your life.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. I wrote it because purpose gave my life more meaning.
Living out the many expressions of my calling makes me SO happy too. *tears*
Sometimes we dodge what we need to do — not realizing that sometimes the thing we’re avoiding has SO much potential to positively change our lives and the world.
Will you say yes??!
Heads up: ‘Say yes to what you’ve avoided’ is an encouragement to do something that will produce a positive outcome.
#thesmokingprophetOne More Thing
The Bible’s take on purpose…
Colossians 3:3 says your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Translation? When you seek God, He shows you who you are and what you’re meant to do. That means when you find Him, you find yourself. 🙌
Gentle Nudge
Here’s the truth: Sometimes, you feel stuck because you’re chasing what you think is right, but it might not be what’s truly right for you.
That’s why tapping into your purpose and calling matters so much. Because life makes way more sense when you know your purpose and calling.
This is what helps me avoid the traps of comparison and live confidently in my lane.
Final reminder: Purpose is all about how you can make the world a better place by being you!
You matter.
What you do matters.
What you bring to this world matters.
Your existence makes the world brighter.
So, if you wanna quit, please remember: Your life—and your gift—matters more than you know. When you feel stuck, think about how much better the world is with your gift in it.
Stream this to hear why I’m happy you exist. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
👋🏽 Hi, I’m LOLA ⸻ the creator of offbeat life advice brand, The Smoking Prophet, owner of a growing content agency, and cultivator of life (family first)!
Most days, you can find me at my desk, in my garden, or on the go. My super-social family keeps me on my toes!
Follow The Smoking Prophet to ignite your creativity, grow spiritually, and blaze your own trail online!
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