Being Who We’re Called to Be (Part 2)

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time – to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT)

To be called is in essence an invitation to do something for God. Because we have free will, it’s up to us whether we’ll receive and walk in the calling the Lord has offered us. Calling begins with an invitation to become a child of God. There’s no calling to serve the Lord if we haven’t first yielded our life and allegiance to Him.

The specific task or service the Lord invites us into can be a life-long assignment or temporary. For those called to vocational ministry, for the most part, it’s a lifelong commitment, at least it has been for me. In yesterday’s post I mentioned that God designs and equips us for specific responsibilities that He will assign to us across the years of our ministry; however, there’s no “retirement” when it comes to Christian ministry.

My calling/ministry/service looks different now than it did when I first started my journey, but my devotion to the Lord, which is foundational, should never change, at least in terms of my commitment to carry out God’s will regardless of where it leads me. In this season of my life, I don’t have the energy to be a Pastor of a congregation of God’s people, large or small, so, the Lord has tailored my assignment specifically to the qualifications I have now – physically, spiritually, mentally, intellectually, etc.

Another consideration that can be confusing, is what we desire for ourselves, especially as it relates to other people and/or positions to which we aspire. Human aspirations and God’s will can sometimes be in conflict, so, we have to be very careful to whom we’re listening. We may see someone fulfilling a type of ministry or service that looks very appealing to us, but we must be honest with ourselves in terms of why. Is it the ministry or the person who is drawing our attention?

Honestly, that can be a valid basis for asking the right questions when we’re not sure where the Lord is leading. To sit down with someone whom we perceive is doing an outstanding job in an area in which they’re serving can be healthy. However, we mustn’t forget that people who are good at something can make it seem like it’s effortless, when in fact, it’s anything but.

One other dimension of this whole area of giftedness, serving, and calling is this: don’t be afraid to try something on a short-term basis. There have been those who have come to me because of their interest in an area of ministry in which they’ve felt “called,” but in which they had no experience. In my mind, that’s an ideal situation to have them volunteer for a specific amount of time – i.e. 3-6 months.

That should give them enough time to see if their curiosity is satisfied or if they need to dig in and spend more time learning as they then consider a long-term calling to serve in that area of ministry.

The bottom line to me is, over time God will give you certainty as to where He wants you to serve, so, when you find your “sweet spot,” hone your skills to train you to be the best you can possibly be. At that point you can also define what serving in that specific area will look like for you, whether your “calling” is as a layperson or paid staff position, which opens other considerations such as: continuing to serve where you are or pursuing a position with another church or organization. Just know the Lord will help you be the person He’s called you to be. Please listen carefully to what He’s saying and where He’s leading!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊