In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple, and when God asked, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah raised his hand and cried, "Here I am, Lord, send me!" God called Ezekiel when he was in exile, and God called to Moses as he inspected a burning bush. I could go on, of course, because the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who were called by God to do things both great and ordinary. They are great stories... but God is still calling us to do things both great and ordinary. I believe that there are legions of sincere people who would answer God's call... IF they heard it, and I believe that there are many people who would raise their hand and say, "Send me, Lord," if they recognized God's voice. So... with that in mind, I would like to offer my version of the TOP 10 WAYS IN WHICH GOD CALLS US TODAY.
10) IN VISIONS. In days of old, God often called people in visions, but they're number 10 on my list because we no longer trust them. We are suspicious of things that can't be measured or explained. We have given our hearts to science, and I doubt if many of us are given to visions. However... people still have visions. They envision a better world, a world with more justice, a world with more opportunity, and some of these people spend their lives serving their vision;
9) IN DREAMS. Dreams were often used by God to call his people in both the Old and New Testaments, but like visions, they are out of vogue in our time. In the ancient world, dreams gave a glimpse into the future or they interpreted the present, but in our time, if they're given any weight at all, they are thought of as signs of past abuses, unprocessed fears, or personality disorders. Thus, while God still speaks through dreams, we are no longer likely to listen very well;
8) THROUGH PERSISTENT EMPTINESS. Before I embraced God's call in my life, I had a persistent sense of emptiness. Raises, promotions, job changes- I experienced each of them... more than once. I also tried to fulfill myself in other ways... but I had a persistent "is-this-all-there-is" feeling, and I would still have that feeling if I wasn't doing what God wanted me to be doing. God may be speaking to you through your own emptiness;
7) THROUGH THE ISSUES OF OUR TIME. We are all lodged in a specific time and place, and therefore, God often calls us through the issues of our own time. In 1855, that issue might have been slavery; in 1925, that issue might have been women's suffrage. Today, God might be calling you to get involved in issues like income equality, urban violence, and family values- to name a few.
6) THROUGH THE TALENTS WE POSSESS. I've heard it said that you can't teach a pig to sing because it doesn't work and it annoys the pig. Well, although God can do anything, God often elects to call us through the talents he has already given us... which explains why I've never been called to sing... or to be a basketball player. I don't have the talents required for these things, and I shouldn't put God to the test by insisting that I do. If people often tell you that you have the talents to a good- let's say, teacher or greeter, they may be speaking for God;
5) THROUGH A NAGGING DESIRE. Let's be clear: most of our desires are not from God- even the things and experiences we think we must have. However, if you can't shake a desire to do something that a) fulfills you, and b) meets one of the world's needs, your nagging desire may be God on the line. T.S. Eliot called God the "hound of heaven" because God just wouldn't let him rest;
4) THROUGH OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES. When my wife, Sherry, was in the hospital recently, one of her nurses was a man named John... who had been a combat marine in Iraq. John was shot in the stomach on the battlefield and badly injured, and because a couple of nurses gave him great care, he decided to become a nurse himself... because he found his calling in his own experience.
3) THROUGH YOUR TEARS. Since God's calls always engage the heart, you can often "hear" his voice in your tears and your passions. What makes you cry? When you read the news, or ponder life, what stirs your emotions? Quite frequently, your call is wrapped in a broken heart .
2) IN PRAYER. Prayer is essentially "God-talk," but I'm actually talking about LISTENING. If you don't listen, you will not hear a word, but if you do listen... to the sound of silence, to the thoughts that cross your mind when you're centered in prayer, or sometimes just to your own words... God will answer. If you approach God sincerely and let go of your own agenda, God will talk to you;
1) The number 1 way in which God calls us is through His word in Scripture! There is no doubt about it. If you read the Bible, God's word will speak to you. Indeed, virtually every page of the Bible includes a discovery, an encounter, direction for life, maybe a challenge, and/or affirmation! God voice is most clearly heard in Scripture... so open your Bibles! Attend a class, join a small group, buy a devotional, come to church. Invest in God's word and it will change your life!
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