I didn’t grow up planning to be in ministry. But, in my final semester of undergraduate studies, just as I was finishing a double degree in economics and business administration, something unexpected happened. I had just returned from studying abroad in Spain, and my life felt pointed in a very clear direction. I was preparing for a career in investment banking. I had plans. Practical ones. Structured ones. Ministry was not on the list.
Then the dreams started.
They weren’t symbolic or vague. They were repetitive and unsettling. Night after night, I dreamed of dying and going to hell. The dreams were sequential, almost like a story that kept picking up where they left off. They continued for weeks. In the final dream, I screamed the name of Jesus just before waking up. Those dreams shook me. So, I made a quiet commitment to fully give my life to God.
Not long after, I attended a worship service that would mark me in a way that’s difficult to explain. As I sat there listening to my pastor preach, everything around me seemed to fade away. It felt like the room narrowed into a tunnel. All I could see was the pastor in the pulpit, and in my mind I heard a thought that came with unsettling clarity: this is what you should be doing.
That moment was the first of many that would confirm what God was doing, but it didn’t bring immediate confidence. It actually brought fear. I didn’t know any women preachers. There were none in my church. I had no framework for what I was sensing. I was afraid to tell anyone what I believed God was saying, and even more afraid that I might be wrong.
I also knew myself. I could list my imperfections easily. I didn’t see myself as qualified to preach the gospel. In fact, I questioned whether I had any right to do so. I felt the weight of my past, the inconsistency of my faith up to that point, and the very real tension between the life I had planned and the calling I was beginning to hear.
There were practical barriers too. I was graduating with significant undergraduate debt. Seminary wasn’t an option I could afford, even if I had wanted to pursue it immediately. I didn’t even know what the next step should be. I only knew that ignoring God wasn’t possible anymore.
What I didn’t understand then, but what I would learn over time, is that calling rarely arrives fully formed. It unfolds through obedience, confirmation, and doors that open one at a time. God was faithful. He continued to speak. He continued to confirm. And slowly, through a series of events that I could not have orchestrated, He made room for me to walk in the calling He had already prepared for me.
That’s why calling is not something you chase. It’s something you respond to. And clarity often comes after obedience, not before.
What Is A Calling?
First, let’s talk about what it’s not. Calling is not something you manufacture. You don’t get to choose what you do for God. If only that were the case. Most of us would have chosen something far more comfortable or something we felt was more “suitable” for our personalities.
Instead, calling is an invitation, and dare I say command from God to serve Him and serve others. It’s primarily rooted in who you are, that’s why, most often, long before calling takes shape through assignments or responsibility, it’s formed in your own identity and it’s rarely revealed all at once.
It is mostly confirmed over time through burdens that don’t go away and obedience that deepens your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Your calling will mature as you consistently say yes to God.
At the same time, calling is often misunderstood. It is not a job title or a platform. It’s not even just clarity of assignment. It is not something you “arrive at” and then never revisit, as though obedience ends once you step into a role. And it is not limited to church buildings or vocational ministry positions.
God’s call operates wherever He pairs responsibility and stewardship. You must know God intimately to properly walk out your calling. Especially because it most often pulls you in directions contrary to your own experience and that of others. When calling is reduced to a position or needs people for validation, it becomes fragile and performance-driven instead of anchored in obedience.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Your Calling
Even if it’s not initially heard through Scripture, most often, calling is illuminated through God’s word. It may be that a passage you’ve read a dozen times will suddenly leap out to you. Sermons start to feel personal and directional. That’s when the Holy Spirit takes what is written and makes it specific to you, not by adding to Scripture, but by opening your understanding of it.
Calling is also revealed through burden and intercession. There are concerns that don’t leave you, injustices that weigh on your heart, people groups or issues that consistently draw your attention in prayer. These are not distractions. They are often indicators of where God has entrusted you with spiritual responsibility. What presses you in prayer frequently points to what you are called to steward.
Importantly, the Holy Spirit convicts without pressuring. His conviction will work to bring clarity, even when the instruction feels costly. Pressure, by contrast, produces anxiety and confusion. Learning to distinguish between the two is essential for accurately discerning your calling.
The Spirit also speaks through truth. Your calling will never contradict the nature of God or require you to violate His character to fulfill it. It will align with Scripture, with the fruit of the Spirit, and with the season God has you in.
Timing matters. God may reveal direction long before He starts to move you in place. Waiting is not disobedience when God has not yet released you to act. In fact, if you don’t have direction, one of the best things you can do is ask God to make the path clear.
Many believers miss what the Holy Spirit is saying, not because God is silent, but because their attention is divided. Overreliance on external voices can drown out discernment. When too many opinions shape decision-making, it becomes difficult to recognize the Spirit’s leading. And neglecting spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, and stillness, will only compound the problem.
Fear also plays a role. Sometimes clarity comes, but obedience feels too costly. When following God threatens comfort, reputation, or control, it is tempting to question whether the instruction is really from Him. Delay can also be mislabeled as discernment when it is actually fear.
This is why a simple listening prayer is often the most honest place to start. Not asking God what to do next, but asking Him to anchor your heart with what He has already spoken. Stillness creates space for clarity. And positions you to recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice when He speaks.
Conclusion
Calling is not something you have to rush toward. It is something you learn to steward. Calling often feels costly because it requires surrender and careful obedience. It asks you to release false timelines, borrowed expectations, and the need for constant confirmation or affirmation from others. For many women, the struggle is not hearing God, but overcoming doubt about their own capability or capacity. And yet, when calling is anchored in intimacy with the Holy Spirit, it is more clear than confusing, even when the path forward unfolds slowly.
If you sense God drawing you toward deeper obedience, leadership, or ministry responsibility, you do not need to figure it all out alone. Calling matures best in community and under spiritual covering. Your discernment will deepen as you walk with others who are committed to hearing God and responding faithfully. This is not about finding a role. It is about becoming someone who can carry what God gives them with wisdom and endurance.
That’s why I created a mentorship program for women in ministry who know God has called them, but want to steward that calling with wisdom, clarity, and faithfulness. This mentorship is not about building platforms or rushing into visibility. It is about developing spiritual depth, discernment, and sustainable leadership. It is a space for women who are serious about hearing God clearly, submitting their calling to formation, and walking it out in real life with accountability and support.
If you are ready to move from sensing a call to stewarding it with intention, I invite you to learn more about the mentorship. This may be the next step God is inviting you to take, not to figure everything out, but to walk forward faithfully, surrounded by women who are committed to the same pursuit.
