Discernment: Serving God--the ultimate goal of one's life

More about having one’s priorities straight in order to reach the ultimate goal in life: serving God. Any vocation—religious life, priesthood, marriage, the single life—has the same purpose, namely, to serve the Lord using our talents and gifts, our strengths and challenges, our educational background and all that has contributed to making us the persons we are before God.  Any choice within our vocation, as well, must be directed toward that end, giving glory to God by our obedience to His will. All in life is a means to that end! One vocation is not better than another, it is simply a different path to which God call us. He calls us to a particular vocation because that is best suited to who we are and are to become.  God wants the best of us and wants us to be where we will thrive and find our greatest peace, joy and love. For some that is in serving the Lord as women  or men religious or as priests.  For others that is going through life with a particular partner in marriage and raising children. For still others it is serving the Lord as single women or men, giving one’s all to careers of service to humankind. Source: Discernment of Spirits by Warren Sazama, SJ, National Religious Vocation Conference, Chicago, IL 60615.