Walking the Tension: When Calling Meets the Calling Card

There are times when the callings feel… complicated. Maybe you're called to serve in a way that requires you to build a professional life, or perhaps you’re wrestling with how to keep the purity of your heart when the world expects you to perform for a paycheck. It’s a tension, isn't it?

I was listening to a conversation recently—Gracie Binion talking about being a professional worship artist—and it really resonated. She talked about having to walk *in* that tension. She recognized that to lead worship with a pure heart, you have to acknowledge the reality that some people are doing it just for the check, and that *cannot* be you.

As returned missionaries, we hear this all the time. We hear the investigators asking, “But how do I balance my job? How do I pay my bills? How do I be a disciple *and* a student?” The stakes feel incredibly high, and the world keeps throwing practical realities at us. It can feel like the gospel is a beautiful, perfect ideal, and life is a messy, paying job.

But what Gracie pointed out is vital: the Lord doesn't ask us to live in a vacuum. He asks us to be *Christlike* in the messy reality of our lives. Our discipleship isn't meant to be separate from our careers; it’s meant to infuse them. It's about making sure that whatever we are doing—whether it’s leading music, managing a budget, or just having a difficult conversation with an investigator—that the *heart* behind it is directed toward Him.

This reminds me of the principle of finding the divine in the mundane. Our mission preparation, our daily lives, even our "Internet missionary" efforts, are all opportunities to practice this balance. We can’t wait until we’re *in* the field, or until we’re *in* the temple, to feel the Spirit. We have to practice drawing on that pure heart right where we are.

If you’re feeling that pull—that tension between what feels purely divine and what feels purely practical—I encourage you to talk to your local district leader. Or, if you need a low-stakes place to wrestle with it, join a Book Club in HolyPlaces. We can discuss the scriptures through the lens of real-life challenges. Sometimes, hearing another disciple articulate the struggle helps us realize we aren't alone in that tension.

For those of you who are feeling the pull toward deeper study, I highly recommend revisiting the writings of Abraham Gesner on this topic. If you haven't, check out the Iron Rod collection in LivingBook. It’s a wonderful reminder that the gospel is meant to be lived, not just studied.

Remember, being a disciple anywhere, all the time, means treating every interaction—every job, every friendship, every moment of quiet—as a chance to steward our hearts for the Lord. Let's keep wrestling with it, together!

A Small Skill for the Week: The 'Why' Check

Here’s a quick mission-prep skill I want to leave you with this week. Before you engage in any activity—a difficult conversation, a major purchase, or even a social media post—pause and ask yourself: "What is the *pure* heart behind this action? Am I doing this because I *want* to, or because I *should*?" If you can identify the root motivation, you can better align it with the Spirit.

If you're ready to dive deeper into these kinds of conversations, I invite you to join our free weekly Disciple Challenge! It’s a great way to practice these skills with fellow disciples.