God's Call

In Sunday School, last Sunday, we started class with a question which might, to some of you seem alien, or theologically unsound. The question was this, "What is God's call on your life?" I wasn't asking about the generic commands or the general call of Salvation, my question was what specific things is God calling you personally to do.

Since then I have had a conversation about this with a Christian friend of mine, who doesn't really hold to that terminology. He is much further in the camp of people who view God as distributing talents and gifts, but then also gives us the liberty to serve where we choose. This difference of approach created an interesting conversation, but no real debate to speak of. What it did for me, though, is cause me to challenge this assumption and thought I would walk through this with you.

Before I move forward I should note that the belief in God's personal call to a believer is not a matter of salvation. There is no requirement you believe in or a prohibition against believing in God's personal call. One does not become a better Christian by holding to this belief, nor should this be a cause for any kind of division. I am not going to convince to believe differently about this than you already do, I'm just hoping to share in detail how I view this.

There are at least fours calls I believe God has given me. In each case the way I came to them is unique, meaning different than the others and in each case I believe that God placed me in the moment, with the skills and gifts needed and the guided me to worship him in taking up these responsibilities. I don't think they are optional, I think refusal to do them is sin. While not as gradios, I think my obedience in these things is in the vein of Paul, who was call to plant churches among the Gentiles or Moses who was called to free his people from Pharoah. Just as God was specific in the people and things he wanted those people to do then, I believe he is just as specific with what he wants me to do.

I have never been called by the voice of God coming from a burning bush, nor has he struck me blind in my disobedience. In fact, my first call came when I was pretty poor excuse for a Christian. It came in the form of a letter from Shelly, before she was my wife. It is highly unlikely she felt her words were anything divine, but it was here that God began calling me to be a good husband. I did what any poor excuse for a Christian does when God tries to meddle in their life, I ran, denied, rejected the idea. I didn't make it very far. In short order my heart had softened and the prospect of what could be took hold. Ultimately, as you know, we were married.

The second call, as I would look at it, followed the first. It came with much less choice, as does sometimes happen. I'm reminded of the story of Jonah and his call to preach to Nineveh. It is one thing to talk about having children, it is a very different thing to realize in just a few months you will have not one, but two children. It that moment you have to call the babysitter to tell them you are going to be a while because they have twice the work at the sonogram they expected, you can feel the water pull you into the big fish. I call you to be a good father.

The third call, which we talked briefly about in class, was a call to teach. Specifically, to teach an adult Sunday school class. This one came in parts and pieces, which fell together. First, I have a love of Biblical study, the history, the language, the deeper meanings and the obvious truths. I have had this for a long time. Years ago, I was placed in a class with Wayne Dudley, who loved many of these same things, used lots of commentaries and was a teacher I really respected, I would even say a bit of a mentor. The issue I had was, as I sat in class there was part of me that wanted to run in certain directions, talk about certain things, I wanted to and felt like I was supposed to teach. I didn't though, want to leave his class. One day, after church he pulled me aside and asked if I would be willing to take over the class. I don't remember what I said or how the conversation went, but I knew this was the moment. I knew God had been preparing me for this. While it was slower than you might expect, this was the birth of a call a long time coming. I started teaching.

The forth call, is one to serve my church. We are all called to serve God, but this is specifically to serve Praise Baptist Church and the people who come there. I am not called, at this time, to be a Pastor, although there have been moments I have been called to preach. I am not called to handle the finances or do much with the facility. What God has called me to is making sure people are given an opportunity to serve, that I assist the Pastors in their various roles, that I minimize social issues, which happen in churches, and guests are welcomed and loved. I am called to make sure we remain faithful and responsible. I am called to be a servant to the people of the church, for the benefit of the church, to Honor God. This is an evolving call. It moves with the times and has placed me in different rolls. Deacon, personnel team, mediator. The title is second to the service and that is what I think a call really should be. When it comes to the things God calls you to It matters more what you do, than the honors you get for doing it.

I don't know with certainly that you should all feel the call of God. I don't know that he works that way with everybody. He certainly doesn't have to. So, if you are not happy with that idea, do away with it. For me, it is how I understand my relationship with God, it is how I measure my obedience, it is how he is made personal to me. That is what is important.