God called Moses. He called Abraham. Jesus called the disciples. Paul was called by Jesus in a vision. These examples have one thing in common: the Lord issued a call to each of them. One question begs to be answered, though: “What is a calling from God?”
What Is a Calling from God?
First of all, you must remember that each Christian is called by our Master. Paul declares to the Corinth Church that “each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches” (1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV).
Paul also tells his mentee Timothy that Christ “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:9 NASB).
In other words, Christ calls each of us, not a certain elite of above-average Christians, to live according to His will. Paul even adds, “For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them” (Ephesians 2:10 NET). Not only are you called, we all are. You have things that God prepared for you to accomplish.
But I get it; when you talk about finding your calling, you’re trying to figure out that ministerial role you’ve been searching for. You can call that your vocation. So how do you find out that vocational calling from God? To answer that, let’s look at a few examples from the Old and New Testaments. The Bible will be our guidebook.
How God Calls
A Burning Bush Calling
This story happens once in the Bible, and there are no other similar ones. It wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event; it was a once-in-history moment. God’s calling is not always a burning bush moment.
A Knock-You-Off-Your-Path Calling
The example of Paul is often quoted of how God calls people. Yet, this was also a once-in-history moment. The Church was being built, and the Gospel needed to be spread all over the known world. It was such a unique moment that the Lord needed to confirm to Ananias, who was to greet Paul, that “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15 NIV).
A Meeting-a-Need Calling
There are other ways God calls people to ministry than incredible once-in-history moments. Nehemiah heard of a need (the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls) and felt compelled to do something about it. The disciples were called to “come and see” by Jesus. They got their assignments later in their discipleship. John Mark was useful for the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11); Apollos was a teacher and a gifted apologetic speaker when the Church needed an eloquent orator.
This type of calling has happened throughout the history of the church as well. Look at Mother Teresa’s work for the poor, George Mueller’s orphanages and schools, or how Robert Pierce saw the missionaries’ emergency needs and founded World Vision. Meeting a need is a common way for God to call people to accomplish those works He’s prepared.
Remove the Noise to Hear God’s Call
Being called by God, for most of the Bible characters, was a non-spectacular, very down-to-earth experience. Yet, most have something in common, including Moses and Paul. They all had this instant of utter silence, where the literal noises went down. Emotional and psychological noises were also removed by either God or themselves. To understand best that calling from God, removing noise is a must.
For most of them, isolation was part of this process. Elijah in the cavern. Abraham gazed at the stars. David was tending his sheep at night. Paul, blinded by his encounter with Christ, was alone in Ananias’ home. Moses in the desert. All of these people had removed the noises of life from around them.
So that is your first step, eliminate some noise. Engage your “Do not disturb” mode for some time. Then, you will be more open to getting from God what He wants to download into you.
Types of Noises to Remove
Once you’ve scheduled and ordained those moments of solitude with your Creator, it is now time to take inventory of these 5 different yet recurring noises that we all face at some point.
The Noise of Entertainment
In a society of pleasure and leisure, you may be tempted to divert your attention towards being entertained. Many people spend countless hours TV binging or social media scrolling, while still expecting the Holy Spirit to appear to them. That is not an efficient strategy to discover your calling.
The Voice of Procrastination
“I’ll start tomorrow” is a loud voice, and it weighs a ton in many people’s minds. Today is a hard day to deal with! The screaming voice of procrastination steals you from dealing with the often negative emotions related to making a choice for God.
Don’t start tomorrow; take a step today. Turn off the TV, start reading God’s word, and invest time praying instead. After all, God says, “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14 NLT).
The Lament of Laziness
Maybe you think you’re too busy, or it will be too much of a hassle to discover God’s call for your life. What happens then is that your inner dialogue just wants you to find an easy way to walk on an easy path. Proverbs 20:4 is a good wake-up call when it says, “Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest” (NLT). Eliminating laziness from your own pep talk will kick away some fears of what lies ahead.
Sirens of Your Desires
Jeremiah reminds us that our hearts are wicked because human nature will want to seek the easy way or choose the path of less resistance. Taking up your cross does offer resistance, yet it will give you a purpose and a meaningful life of fulfillment.
Silence the Noise with P.L.A.N.
You may have other noises to silence around you to find that calling of yours. When you do, follow this easy blueprint by sticking to the P.L.A.N.
Pray Like Crazy!
Remember, when you put God first, everything else is given to you (Matthew 6), and He will let Himself be found (Jeremiah 29). For many aspiring leaders, this is the missing ingredient. They talk to professionals and HR, and ask friends, mentors, and coaches questions, but they forget to ask the One who ordains their plans. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Proverbs 16:9 NIV).
List Opportunities
List all the things you think or feel you could do something about. Remember, meeting a need is a very typical way for God to call people to ministry, whether it may be vocational or not. Do you like to care for people, enjoy putting order to chaos, or enter data? Maybe you love people and kids or like to help people feel welcome. These can become part of your calling! God uses what He already put in you to become more fruitful.
Activate Yourself and Start Serving
Find where you can start making a difference and add value to it. Do they need help in the kids’ ministry? Go for it. Does the first impressions team need a personable person? Give your name and help out. A missionary team is going out? Save some money and join them.
By being active, you’ll be discovering what things stir you up and what things don’t necessarily engage you as much. I’d say to rate them from 1 to 10 after praying. I started with children’s ministry because there was a need. From there, it brought me to lead kids, teenagers, teams, staff, and mentor and coach hundreds of people.
And when you’re active, give it all you got, like this was what you were to do for the rest of your life. As you know, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).
Narrow Down Your List
Narrow the list down by admitting that you are not gifted in some things while you excel at others. Always pray honestly about these opportunities that lie before you. Talk with some trusted friends or your pastor. Ask for guidance from a mentor or a professional spiritual coach.
You may not narrow it down to one thing, and that is totally fine! God knows the plans (plural) and the good works (plural again) He has prepared for you. The Holy Spirit knows how to equip you to accomplish the calling He has for you.
Go in Boldness
Perhaps you slowed down your pursuit of Jesus and His calling for you. Today is a great day to renew that passion for ministry. With courage and boldness, live out the words of Paul to Timothy when he needed confirmation of his calling: “I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NLT).
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