When I hear some people speak about the call of God it sounds a lot like the expectation that God has a mobile phone. As long as my phone doesn’t ring with a call from God, I am free to do my own thing. It is spoken of as if some people got that call, and others didn’t. Depending on how the phone conversation went makes many glad they didn’t get that call.
But what if the call of God works more like a specialized set of purposes, gifts, experiences, and desires. Rather than the picture of a phone call from God, what if the call of God looks more like an imprint on the heart of EVERY single person? What if every single one of us is called by God?
I believe that we have done the church a disservice in speaking of the call in these terms. Missionaries get a CALL! Pastors get a CALL! Evangelists get a CALL! Doctors Get degrees! And plumbers get training!
But, what would happen if we stopped letting people off the hook? What if we started speaking to our graduating teens about their calling in life? What if we stopped placing missionaries and pastors on pedestals acting as if they have received something different than everyone else in regard to communication with God? What if we started to encourage everyone to routinely evaluate their gifts, talents, abilities, passions, and desires in the light of God’s Word?
I think we would have more engineers, more plumbers, more missionaries, more teachers, more lawyers, more UPS drivers, more office administrators, more pastors, and more people in every occupation who believed that they could serve God in their current role. And if they believed they could serve God in their current role, they just might shine more for Jesus right where they live. And that could have a dramatic impact for the kingdom!!
I am pretty sure that God doesn’t have a cellphone, but I am pretty sure if He does it gets better coverage than mine! I am currently called to be the lead pastor of ReCAST Church. But it was not a phone call from God that brought me here.
What is your current calling in life?