What’s Your Calling?
By Gerry Foster

Jesus had a vision and He was on a mission.  His whole ministry was the vision from which He lived – that of glorifying God by serving others.  He fulfilled His vision through others, not in things.  Although He lived 33 short years, He lived each moment of His life with people to open up the possibility of a greater life. 

Yet, despite the circumstances He was dealing with – ridicule, skepticism, Caesar and the Roman Empire, and ultimately His own crucifixion – His vision always included God’s provision in the circumstances.  Jesus refused to be a victim of the problems and challenges He was facing.

What’s your calling?  Are you clear on the vision God has for your life? As an entrepreneur, are you overly concerned about turning cash, paying bills, and reducing debt at the present time?  Or, are you willing to put all that aside and ignite the growth of your organization by declaring publicly a vision that your employees and others will rally around – a new dream that creates, causes, and makes possible things to happen through God that haven’t happened already?

And likewise, are you willing to declare your provision for the vision – that is, a mission that makes everyone involved feel better and a part of something special?

Declare Your Vision And Mission

Vision brings discipline, and discipline supplies a sense of purpose and meaning to life.  Purpose calls forth mission, and mission compels, motivates and inspires you and the members of your organization to act on your vision.  The loss of proclaiming and declaring a vision and mission stifles the growth of most organizations, large or small.  With in-house, behind-closed-doors conversations that are laced with explanation, justification, rationalization and excuses for the way things are and the way things aren’t, it makes it difficult for God to pour blessings, miracles and breakthroughs into your operation. 

When these organizations fall behind in their financial projections, the biggest mistakes they make is the erroneous assumption that any shortfalls can be made up in volume.  Sure, they may be able to add and expand their client base on a weekly or monthly basis, but they are probably attracting primarily “C-type” clients who contribute very little to their bottom line.  To add insult to injury, the leaders of these organizations are then in denial of lacking the necessary infrastructure (i.e. having qualified people, practices and procedures in place) to correct the problem and ensure ongoing financial viability.

There is a well-known economic principle that 80% of your profit is earned from 20% or so of your clients.  I believe that setting up appropriate systems for selling more to your best clients can usually increase earnings faster and more cost-effectively.  At the same time, you’ll want to make sure your “C-type” clients and income generators have their weaknesses identified and addressed so they can someday become “A-type” clients.

One of the most important lessons you will ever learn about growing a service business is this:  missions and persistent visions fuel motivation, inspire action, and shape behavior.  When people pay attention to someone who is pursuing a dream, they sense purpose.  It brings forth sustained effort that leads to impressive increases in performance.  The power of the individual to contribute and make a difference is unleashed.

A Personal Testimony

My own vision as an entrepreneur is success as a birthright for everyone.  That gives rise to the mission for my company which is to help our clients build profitable businesses in the markets they serve by teaching them how to become masters at marketing their services.

These statements are not clunky, esoteric, or pie-in-the-sky.  They are a destination or level of achievement I see myself reaching in the future that call forth my whole-hearted personal commitment to bring glory and honor to God.  They are the things He has sovereignly chosen for me – lives He wants me to touch “through” my life.

More than anything, these statements reflect my calling – which is to teach.  Each statement lets me know that God wants to do something through my life that is unique onto me.  They are a reflection of what it means to do “good works” – my desire to take something of precious value and give it to my clients, knowing they would love to receive it from me.

Consequently, I wake up each morning and get to do something I love to do – namely, fulfill my calling.  I’ve taught myself how to “sell” – not through the use of sales techniques, but by “enrolling” prospects in my calling … in my “stand” for their success.  When I share from my heart about how to step outside our boundaries and open up new possibilities for a service business, people listen.  Energy and excitement is created.  Folks like what I have to say.

As more and more people become aware of my message and my work, I attract more “A-type” clients, which enables me to make more and give more to God in tithes and offerings.

See, at the time God laid His vision and mission for my work onto my heart, it did not matter what my circumstances were.  Nor did the financial challenges I was dealing with at the time.  The Lord reached into the darkness of my life, moved me into the spotlight and put me on display so I could be a testimony of His power to resurrect the dead.

What’s more, as I continue along a path where I get to coach and consult, teach and train, speak and preach about marketing, God uses me as an instrument of His will.  He trusts me with a microphone in my hand to deliver messages that help build lives and produce eternal influence for the Kingdom.

The more disciplined and focused I am on fulfilling my calling, the more I make.  The more I make, the more I give to God what I owe.  The more I give to God what I owe, the more I make.  Whereas in the past, I robbed God and only gave what I thought I could afford.  As a result, I was stuck on a plateau for many, many years – barely growing financially, professionally, personally and spiritually. 

Divine Leadership

When everyone knows what the vision and mission of your organization is, they can feel a part of a team – much like a church congregation - pursuing it.  Any big egos, jealousies, envy, fussing and fighting.  All that stuff gets checked at the door when a vision or big dream is being pursued.

Like Paul, everyone involved in your organization will get to live to live their lives for something bigger than them.  If written properly, your vision and mission statement will serve as God’s beacon of light, pulling everyone in a certain direction on their walk towards their destiny.

Think of the people you know or have read about that were regarded as visionaries or of a higher calling.  These leaders are able to step forward with energy, creativity, and productivity they didn’t know they had and always engage the spirit of others. They do not drift through life aimlessly, but rather they are clear minded, focused and committed to their purpose and relationship with The Lord if they truly desire to please Him.

When people have a cause worth fighting for, they move beyond the limits of what they think they can do and are willing to do.  They become men and women of great commitment and conviction who take a stand!  These leaders act on their view of what’s possible in the future with a clear sense of purpose, and create environments in the present where people can share their commitment. 

When people have such a commitment, they move beyond the limits of what they think they can do and are willing to do. They become men and women of conviction who take a stand! These leaders act on their view of what’s possible in the future and create environments in the present where people can share their commitment.After all is said and done, they have an infrastructure in place where commitment is the norm, not the exception. 

Destiny Fulfillment

So who needs to develop or refine their vision and/or mission statement, and share that calling publicly with those who need to hear it?   You do.  That is, if you have any or all of these five symptoms:

1. You have specific business goals that must be met, but you’re hoping and praying they will be achieved each month

2. You have something of unique value to offer others, but you’re not getting the results you want

3. You are in transition and not sure what direction you want to take your organization or your people

4. You don’t know how to market what you love to do

5. You feel that your reputation in the marketplace or community does not authentically represent who you are as an organization and what you do

The bottom-line:  Everyone with anything unique or special to offer the public should have a written, inspiring vision and mission statement that is embraced by all.  Armed with such a conviction, you are now ready to “go out there and do business” (Luke 10:13) for the Kingdom.

Gerry Foster believes that if you take seriously and learn how to market your services by faith, together with Mastery Marketing® secrets, that you will receive tremendous blessings, because truly you are a blessing.  If Gerry can be of assistance to you in any way please contact him directly by phone at 949.499.1174 or by email at gerry@masterymarketing.com