The gentleman in my office said, “I know God has called me to the mission field. I will do anything you want me to do. I don’t care how long it takes.”
I was impressed. It had been a long time since anyone had come to me with such intensity and assurance of God’s call.
Does God call people today as He did in Bible times? If so, why is it that so few are able to identify God’s call in their lives? Could it be we may not be hearing what God is saying?
Jesus declared, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14, NKJV). We understand these words in the context of salvation, but what about the call of God to Christian service? Most Christians agree that all are called to know Jesus and walk with Him, but few understand and recognize the call of God.
Jesus further declared, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38, NKJV). If Jesus exhorted His people to pray for laborers and observed that many are called but few chosen, then where are the laborers? Where are the called? The answer lies in our inability to recognize and identify the call of God.
The call of God can be as real today as it was for Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Isaiah, Peter, John, and Paul. Let’s begin with some reasons why people may not recognize the call of God.
Contemporary Culture –
The American emphasis upon pleasure, materialism, instant gratification, and the avoidance of sacrifice and long-term commitment often keep us from hearing God. The Bible is portrayed as narrow, antiquated, and irrelevant. Secularism and humanism suggest there are no absolutes, eroding the belief in the existence of God. Further, if God does exist, He certainly doesn’t speak to people today.
The Time Trap –
Americans work fewer hours per week than our ancestors but have never felt more pressed for time. This time trap robs us from being with God. Most people live in a flurry of activity, struggling with the demands of work, school, church, and family. Family members are so busy they may not see one another for days. Time is precious. It has been said that people would rather give money than time.
Part of the time trap is “timing”; the timing is never right. People say they will enter the ministry after a certain event happens. Those ideal conditions never occur. God’s call always inconveniences us and the timing is never our choice. The Apostle Paul was inconvenienced along the road to Damascus and Elisha was inconvenienced while plowing a field.
The Priority Dilemma –
Life presents many choices. Priorities become blurred in a flurry of busyness and multiple choices. The things we value are crowded out with urgent, more pressing demands. Instead, choices that would nurture spiritual priorities are lost to the tyranny of the urgent. Good intentions don’t automatically translate into actions.
Each Christian who desires to hear the call of God must examine his or her relationship with God. We must recognize the influence of our culture and develop biblical perspectives on life and service for God. We must also come to grips with the time trap. Someone once said, “We always have time for the things we want to do.” A realignment of our time and priorities will open the way for God to extend His call even in the twenty-first century. What are some practical ways to hear God’s call?
God’s Word –
God speaks through His Word. Many have been called to His service through the Bible. Daily Bible reading and weekly sermons help us hear God. His Word is powerful.
The Still, Small Voice –
Often God calls people through a quiet, but persistent voice that is heard in a person’s spirit. The voice may not be audible, but it is real.
Ordinary or Extraordinary Circumstances –
Sometimes God speaks to us through dramatic experiences. More often, He uses ordinary experiences to speak to us, perhaps through contact with a person, an ethnic group, a special ministry, or an unmet need.
A Persistent Burden –
God may give you compassion for the lost – a city, America, a foreign nation, children, young people, or something that just doesn’t go away. The burden may begin in a small way but increases in intensity. You can’t get it out of your mind.
Willingness to Serve –
Sometimes God’s call begins with a simple willingness to serve God and others. Some may be willing to serve, but don’t know what to do. Pastors are always looking for willing people. The call may come through an unexpected opportunity or an open door to serve. People who serve willingly often find new and exciting opportunities.
Talents and Abilities –
God has given all of us talents and abilities. Sometimes we don’t recognize that God-given talents and abilities, as well as ones that are acquired through education and experience, are doorways through which God’s call comes. God may be looking for the ability you already have.
The church has a special responsibility to provide an atmosphere where people can hear and respond to the call of God. Pastors have an obligation and a unique opportunity to challenge people to respond to the call of God, perhaps through an altar call. This message is not heard often in churches today. The challenge to respond to God’s call is prevalent in youth camps and in national and regional youth events. If we want people to respond to the challenge of Christian service, an opportunity must be provided for them to hear and respond to God’s voice. Many godly men and women have been called to lifetime service as they sought God on their knees at a church altar.
Some Christians are concerned about where they will serve. I love what Oswald Chambers says in his classic book, So Send I You. “God calls you to a vocation, not a location.” God is interested in our hearts and our love for Him. The highest calling is to the vocation of being submissive to Christ. Jesus will take care of the location. The location may change many times, but the vocation never changes. His call is real and life changing. Discover His calling for your life and you will find a life of fruitfulness and meaning.
