In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord... and when God asked, "Whom shall I send?" he raised his hand and cried, "Here I am, Lord, send me!" God called Moses as he inspected a bush that wouldn't quit burning and Jesus called the sons of Zebedee as they were mending their nets. The Bible is filled with stories of people who were called by God to do things both great and ordinary. But God is still calling us to feed the poor, clothe the naked, patch up the broken, lift up the fallen, teach his word, pray for others, sing songs of praise, visit the lonely, heal the sick, and do all we can to make things just in our world. We may be called to do these things in ways big and small... but we are all called to serve and bless others in God's name. We are all called to use our God-given gifts for God's purpose and with that in mind, I would like to list a few of the ways in which God May be Calling You,
9) IN VISIONS. In days of old, God often called people in visions, but 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 just world at peace, a world of opportunity, a safe world, a world at peace... and they spend their lives trying to fulfill their visions. You may be one of them;
8) THROUGH PERSISTENT EMPTINESS. Before I embraced God's call in my life, I had a deep and persistent sense of emptiness... which never really went away. Promotions, job changes, new communities- I experienced each of them more than once. I was running hard, but I was running in circles. I was climbing a ladder, but it wasn't going anywhere. I had a constant "is-this-all-there-is" feeling, and I would still have that empty feeling if I hadn't done business with God's call. Augustine noted that our hearts will never rest until they rest in God, and God may be speaking to you through your 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 the 19th century that issue would likely have been slavery and restoration; through much of the 20th century, that issue might have been women's rights; and today, our set of issues includes the full inclusion of gay people in our churches and civil affairs, gun violence, climate, vanishing jobs, abortion rights, and more. God might be calling you to get involved in issues that are on your plate. What is bothering you? What needs to be changed?
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 calls us through the talents we have already been given... which explains why I've never been called to sing... or 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 be a good- let's say, teacher or greeter, they may be speaking for God;
5) THROUGH A NAGGING DESIRE. Let's be clear: many of our desires are not from God, especially if they are self-serving and harmful to oneself or others. Over the course of my life there have been many things that I wanted... which God did not want me to want. However, if you can't shake a desire to do or be something that fulfills you and meets one of the world's needs, your nagging desire may from 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 was in the hospital, 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 because a couple of nurses gave him great care, he decided to become a nurse himself. Several of the people I met in the treatment center went on to be addiction counselors themselves. Many people give their hearts and their lives to that one thing that "saved" them... and you may be one of them.
3) THROUGH YOUR TEARS. Since God's calls always engage the heart, we can often "hear" God's voice in our tears and our passions. What makes you cry? When you read the news, ponder life, or experience an event that shakes us (and our family) to the core, what stirs our emotions? Quite frequently, our call is wrapped in a broken heart and/or an outrage.
2) IN PRAYER. Prayer is essentially "God-talk," but I'm actually talking about LISTENING. If we don't listen, won't hear a word, but if we do listen... to the thoughts that cross our mind and stir our heart when we're centered in prayer, or sometimes just to our own words... God will answer. If we approach God sincerely and let go of our own agendas, God will talk to us. Listen to the silence and God will lead you on;
1) IN SCRIPTURE. If you read the Bible, God 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!
Unfortunately, it may happen that God's plans for us and our plans won't be the same. It may happen that God's call will cost us something as small as inconvenience or something much bigger, like a way of life. We may simply choose to "let the phone ring" when God calls. We may modify God's call to fit us better or we may say "yes," when we mean "no." We may, of course, embrace God's call and experience the joy of being God's. It's hard to say, but one thing is for sure- God is calling!
9) IN VISIONS. In days of old, God often called people in visions, but 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 just world at peace, a world of opportunity, a safe world, a world at peace... and they spend their lives trying to fulfill their visions. You may be one of them;
8) THROUGH PERSISTENT EMPTINESS. Before I embraced God's call in my life, I had a deep and persistent sense of emptiness... which never really went away. Promotions, job changes, new communities- I experienced each of them more than once. I was running hard, but I was running in circles. I was climbing a ladder, but it wasn't going anywhere. I had a constant "is-this-all-there-is" feeling, and I would still have that empty feeling if I hadn't done business with God's call. Augustine noted that our hearts will never rest until they rest in God, and God may be speaking to you through your 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 the 19th century that issue would likely have been slavery and restoration; through much of the 20th century, that issue might have been women's rights; and today, our set of issues includes the full inclusion of gay people in our churches and civil affairs, gun violence, climate, vanishing jobs, abortion rights, and more. God might be calling you to get involved in issues that are on your plate. What is bothering you? What needs to be changed?
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 calls us through the talents we have already been given... which explains why I've never been called to sing... or 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 be a good- let's say, teacher or greeter, they may be speaking for God;
5) THROUGH A NAGGING DESIRE. Let's be clear: many of our desires are not from God, especially if they are self-serving and harmful to oneself or others. Over the course of my life there have been many things that I wanted... which God did not want me to want. However, if you can't shake a desire to do or be something that fulfills you and meets one of the world's needs, your nagging desire may from 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 was in the hospital, 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 because a couple of nurses gave him great care, he decided to become a nurse himself. Several of the people I met in the treatment center went on to be addiction counselors themselves. Many people give their hearts and their lives to that one thing that "saved" them... and you may be one of them.
3) THROUGH YOUR TEARS. Since God's calls always engage the heart, we can often "hear" God's voice in our tears and our passions. What makes you cry? When you read the news, ponder life, or experience an event that shakes us (and our family) to the core, what stirs our emotions? Quite frequently, our call is wrapped in a broken heart and/or an outrage.
2) IN PRAYER. Prayer is essentially "God-talk," but I'm actually talking about LISTENING. If we don't listen, won't hear a word, but if we do listen... to the thoughts that cross our mind and stir our heart when we're centered in prayer, or sometimes just to our own words... God will answer. If we approach God sincerely and let go of our own agendas, God will talk to us. Listen to the silence and God will lead you on;
1) IN SCRIPTURE. If you read the Bible, God 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!
Unfortunately, it may happen that God's plans for us and our plans won't be the same. It may happen that God's call will cost us something as small as inconvenience or something much bigger, like a way of life. We may simply choose to "let the phone ring" when God calls. We may modify God's call to fit us better or we may say "yes," when we mean "no." We may, of course, embrace God's call and experience the joy of being God's. It's hard to say, but one thing is for sure- God is calling!
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