Questioning your calling

With almost any ministry opportunity available, the question, "Has God called you?" or, "Is God calling me?" nearly always comes up. Sometimes, a person may continue asking this question even after they've traveled overseas for full-time service or launched a new initiative. As followers of Christ, we want to be certain that our actions and motives originated with God, rather than our own desires or needs. Telling others you're "called" may also prove more effective in getting people to pray and support you, too.

So if receiving a call seems so important to so many, why is it also difficult to define? Some may be so bold as to say, "God told me...." Others may opt to describe "a still, small voice." In a ministry environment, it's rare to find people who would admit they're working for the weekend and looking forward to a fat paycheck. Most of the time (at least from my perspective), the excessive paycheck isn't really an option...there are a lot more direct means to get personally rich than getting involved in Kingdom activities. In fact, many ministry cultures seem to look down on personal wealth as unholy and emphasize a lifestyle of generous giving. Again, this is my blog, not the gospel truth--you're getting only what I can see.

Having/Receiving a calling for a specific work is a wonderful gift--one that should be sought out with vehemence. Imagine waking up every morning to go and do the work God specifically designed for you, to meet with people in what, later, can only be described as divine appointments, and to go to bed with a clear conscience every night, knowing that God had an agenda for you to fulfill over the previous 16 hours that He enabled you to fulfill, by His grace. Wouldn't that be amazing? To have no doubt that you're in the center of God's will for your life and be ab;e to see your work make a difference for the kingdom of God?

So why are there so few people in the world whose lives don't match up with the example described above? Even in ministry environments? Why are there still several overseas team that fall apart and people who drift from one ministry to the next? Is it just plain disobedience on their part? Would the problem be solved if they would simply listen for God's voice and do exactly (no more, no less) than God was asking them to do?

I want to know what you think...before I give a full opinion (which I still need to formulate). Please comment, as God leads.