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Your Calling Is a Zigzag
We’re all desperate to know we’re walking in God’s will and fulfilling our calling. Growing up, many of us inherited the false assumption that responsible folks know what they want to do, make a plan, and execute it. Certainty was a sign of maturity.
The problem is, life isn’t always that simple, is it? There’s turbulence, soul-searching, setbacks, and mysterious doors that open at unpredictable times. Calling often feels like a riddle we can’t solve—a puzzle with pieces that don’t seem to fit.
I never planned to be an editor, for example. I’m a journalism student turned pastor turned part-time DJ turned theology teacher turned freelance writer turned professional editor. But rather than resenting the dozens of directional changes through the years, I’ve grown to cherish them.
Here are six lessons from my own zigzag journey that I hope will encourage you—in whatever season you’re in.
1. Nothing is wasted.
When folks ask, “What’s it like being an editor?” I often say, “It’s the job I’ve been preparing my whole life for, without realizing it.” Though I never set out to do this, I can see how everything that came before somehow equipped me for this work.
Rather than resenting the dozens of directional changes through the years, I’ve grown to cherish them.
Without stocking warehouse shelves, I wouldn’t have learned that most work environments thrive on complaining and gossip—and how to tactfully bring positivity without appearing holier than thou. Without teaching high school, I wouldn’t have put in so many teaching reps or learned to win over a reluctant audience. Without pastoring, I wouldn’t know how to care well for authors who feel beaten up by the editing process or fatigued from the publishing slog.
Even Jesus lived 30 years in obscurity as a carpenter before “going public” for three short years until he was executed. Who knows what lessons he absorbed through his hands as he sanded down planks and lined up angles, and how they informed his ministry.
Nothing in your life is wasted. The seemingly mundane or unwanted tasks aren’t a curse. They’re tiny investments, preparing you for the future.
2. Don’t fret about what you ‘deserve.’
The quickest way to misery is to think constantly about what you “deserve.”
This works in two directions. First, when you’re stuck in a situation that feels beneath you (I deserve better), you’ll be too distracted to digest the nutrients of the moment. On the flip side, when you’re given opportunities that feel beyond your experience (I don’t deserve this), rather than rising to the occasion you’ll slink around like an imposter.
My entry into publishing was a whirlwind. I was brand-new to the industry, but my boss saw a spark and took a chance on me. I’ll never forget the shock of receiving that phone call after just two interviews: “Is this Will? Hi, yes, I’m calling to let you know we’d like to offer you the position of senior editor . . .”
Looking at my résumé, did I “deserve” it? Not a chance. But since I’m here, I might as well enjoy it and give it all I’ve got.
Life is a gift to be received, not a right to be claimed. As much as possible, choose diligence over entitlement and gratitude over insecurity.
3. Know the difference between calling and assignment.
When I became an editor, I’d spent 13 years working at churches and a lot of money to earn a master’s in theology, expecting to become a lead pastor. Being suddenly hired as an editor, exciting as it was, threw me into an identity crisis:
Why did I spend so many years preparing for ministry, only to pivot to publishing?
Was God still pleased with me, or had I let him down?
Who was I without “pastor” in my title?
I’ve often been confused and perplexed by those who claim God has one vocation for everyone’s life, and it’s up to us to discover it. I’ve longed for that kind of focused vision, that unshakable certainty, but life has felt more like “Let’s figure this out as we go” than “Let’s follow Plan A.”
That’s why it’s helpful to distinguish between calling and assignment. Your calling never changes, but your assignment shifts with the seasons. As a follower of Jesus, I believe my greatest calling to love God and others never changes (Matt. 22:37–40). However, my specific assignment does: I was a pastor for a while, but now I’m an editor.
Let your calling anchor you, but don’t be afraid to shift your assignment with the seasons.
4. The thing you want is rarely the thing you get.
You won’t hear this from most life coaches out there, but the idea that you can work hard and achieve whatever you want is a lie. Life isn’t that simple, and too many of us want the same things: Demand outweighs supply. Alas, life is riddled with “almosts.”
As much as possible, choose diligence over entitlement and gratitude over insecurity.
I’ve received so many noes that crushed me in the moment, but over time, I became grateful. Turns out, what I thought I wanted so badly changed five years later.
It’s deflating to encounter slammed doors and dashed hopes. You may not feel it at the time, but it’s usually a good thing when opportunities slip through your fingers. If your plans aren’t pliable, you become breakable, so learn to loosen your grip (or else lose your mind).
5. Even the yeses are bittersweet.
Economist Thomas Sowell is often quoted as saying, “There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs.” So true. Even the best opportunities—the greenest pastures—still have brown spots.
It’s easy to romanticize our calling, as if there’s a perfect role out there that pays big, forefronts our gifts, and minimizes conflict. Nope. What’s best for us is often what tests us.
Let your calling anchor you, but don’t be afraid to shift your assignment with the seasons.
If you’re challenged right now that doesn’t seem like the perfect fit, maybe you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. If your vocation’s causing perspiration, maybe you’re actually making a difference.
6. Success is a shape-shifter.
When I first entered publishing, I’d been so fixated on a desired outcome (lead a church) that it took me a moment to recognize the gift of editorial work—to see my new role as a success, not a detour.
It feels good to know what’s coming around the corner. But such rigidity blinds us to unexpected blessings, as James Clear writes,
If you keep showing up, you’ll almost certainly break through—but probably not in the way you expected or intended. You need enough persistence to keep working and enough flexibility to enjoy success when it comes in a different form than you imagined.
Just because you didn’t expect it doesn’t mean you should regret it.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing—know that calling is rarely a straight, predictable line. It’s a zigzag.
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