The Calling
Called by God?
What does a twelve-year-old boy know about “the call of God”?
Even as I ask that question, I’m confident there is no simple answer!
A calling is much more than knowing something intellectually. It goes far beyond the brain’s activity and visits places in your being that you never knew existed.
It was more than a few years ago, as a mischievous and yet innocent preteen, that I heard, or should I say, experienced the voice of God. I have explicit memory of how it felt and still feels to be “called.”
Imagine a giant hook thrown out by God that grabs your spirit and emotions in their deepest parts. Then, the God of the universe starts to tug gently and then pull on that hook. There’s an indication that you have a choice to accept or reject. You don’t! Rejection isn’t an option because you know without a doubt that you are being called out. And, what you’re being called to do is what you were born to do. Anything less would be a life of misery.
To be “called” is not a one-time event but a perpetual invoking.
Relative to ministry, “the call” initiates a continual “calling.” Perhaps this is what Elisha felt when the great prophet Elijah walked by and brushed his mohair mantle against Elisha’s sun-leathered skin. (1 Kings 19:19-21)
That “call” is an invocation if you will. It caused Elisha to follow Elijah. Eventually and ultimately, the “calling” caused him to seek a “double portion.” He got it!
After 40 years of ministry, I remain motivated by this inseparable tandem of “the call” and “the calling.” I have been called, and I’m still responding to the calling of God.
Being a third-generation pastor carries some privileges that come alongside the calling. For instance, at any given time, I’ve been able to look forward to at least one and sometimes two generations to observe how things are done. The indelible impressions are countless, and the wisdom gained is priceless!
My strength and weakness seem to travel the same path, my strength being a belief that “I can do all things through Christ.” (Philippians 4:13). My weakness is believing that I can do all things at once in one day! My solution is to be patient and careful not to become “weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Our callings will continue to manifest in the tension between our strengths and weaknesses. Paul said,
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
- Phil. 3:13-14
For Paul, the “call” was not just a destination but a journey. This journey often requires us to cling to the promise until we obtain the “prize.”
A divine call is not something we create but something the creator places within us.
Throughout the Bible, God often called people to Himself and to His work. For example, Abraham was called to leave his home and travel to a place of promise (Gen. 12:1-9). Paul was “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1). Paul admonishes the Ephesian church that God “gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…” to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
The first “call” for the Christian is primarily into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else, including the five-fold ministry talked about by Paul, flows from that commitment to Jesus.
After experiencing multiple seasons of life, it’s self-evident:
My calling will never be able to exceed my commitment.
“Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism and direction lived out as a response of his summons and service.”
- OS Guinness
So, what does a twelve-year-old boy know about “the call of God”?
He knows enough to answer, follow and keep listening to “The Caller.” And when he becomes a man and needs to know more, he will know more. All the wisdom required for every stage of life comes about as a response to God’s calling.
Is He calling you?