How Can I Be Sure of God's Will and Call?
For followers of Jesus, finding God's will for our lives can feel a bit elusive at times. Rarely does God give a clear, direct answers when we ask, "What should I do?" More often, God uses a combination of indicators to guide and direct our choices.
How can I be sure God's calling me?
So you think you feel God's call in a specific direction – but how do you know it's God, and not just you?
Consider:
- Are circumstances alining to make this choice possible?
- As you pray, are you feeling any nudges from the Holy Spirit?
- What do trusted spiritual advisors and those close to you say about this choice?
- What do you deeply desire about and for this?
- What are the pros and cons of each choice with this decision?
- How does this choice line up with what God has already revealed about His will in the Bible?
Are you waiting for a sign?
What does it mean to be "called" or receive a "calling" from God to ministry?
When we read through the Bible, we see the act of people becoming followers of Jesus referred to as a "calling" or being "called."
Being called into a relationship with God happens in a variety of ways: sometimes the calling is more cognitive – the good news of Jesus just seems to make sense, sometimes we see a need in our lives and believe that Jesus is the answer, sometimes it's an emotional experience, or maybe it's the example of another Jesus follower that convinces us this is true. But in all these instances, Holy Spirit is doing the calling, He's just using a variety of microphones.
Likewise, our calling to ministry can come through a variety of channels:
- You may logically conclude full-time ministry to be a good investment of your life.
- You may be compelled by the great need of those who haven't heard the good news of Jesus.
- Maybe you've experienced God using you in a part-time or volunteer capacity, and you want more of that.
- You may simply have an intense desire to serve God.
God uses many and varied means to call each of us into ministry, most of which are not miraculous signs. How might God be speaking to you?
Do others affirm your call?
Our walk with God isn't a solitary call. We are called into a community of Jesus followers. Often, the Holy Spirit speaks through those around us.
Others in the Body of Christ should recognize God's call and affirm that God is leading you into ministry.
The primary call to all Jesus followers
A call to full-time ministry is really no different from the call to any other vocation for Jesus followers.
Being called simply means being obedient to the ongoing leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. God is calling every Jesus follower to submit our whole lives to Him and to bring glory to His name.
"Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
