There are as many kinds of callings as there are people. But first, let’s look at one of the common fallacies, the idea that God must speak in an audible voice for it to be a valid call.
“You keep saying, ‘God told me’, but God never tells me anything!” The words echoed in the church classroom where several of us were gathered for a prayer meeting. The speaker was a wonderful lady who was a great woman of faith. Daily, this lady who was legally blind, took two city buses to work and the same buses to return home. While some of us wanted to blather about walking in faith, this lady was literally doing so. But it was a typical charismatic prayer meeting in which people were sharing things God had revealed to them, and they were employing the phrase “God told me.”
While the members of the meeting were describing the quiet leading of the Holy Spirit, this poor lady thought God was speaking to the rest of us in an audible voice. It took a great deal of explaining that night before the lady realized that God was not ignoring her and that He was guiding her every movement as she made that perilous commute twice a day. In fact, this lady probably had more faith contained in her little finger than the rest of us altogether.
Throughout the month of January, we studied the ways in which God comforted King David. David was God’s choice to govern Israel, and yet, there is no evidence that God ever spoke to David audibly. When Samuel showed up and anointed David as a future king, nobody was more shocked than David. In fact, what the writer of 1 Samuel did not record was David’s likely reaction: “Who? ME???”
Years ago, we attended a church which had a vibrant Children’s Church. Leading the Children’s Church was Miss Donna. Knowing that most ministries always need help, we approached Miss Donna, offering assistance; however, Miss Donna refused our offer…until several months later. We were at a meeting for coaches of youth soccer/football teams when Miss Donna called me out of the meeting.
“Can you take Children’s Church for Sunday? The material is in the truck.” Donna began.
“Do you mean this Sunday or permanently?” I asked.
“Permanently!” replied Donna, as she grabbed a stack of printed paper, shoved it into my hands, and hopped in her truck, speeding out of the parking lot. We later learned that Donna was not only quitting the church, but also her marriage. And that encounter was our “calling” to lead Children’s Church, a story that demands its own telling at another time.
Later, when we tried to get other church members to help us with Children’s Church, the replies were always the same: “Oh, I don’t feel called!” My response was simple: “Can you read? Do you love Jesus? Then you are called!” Needless to say, I didn’t win many friends that way, nor did we succeed in recruiting help; nonetheless, sometimes God uses our availability to call us. For starters, let’s look at a 500-year-old guy living somewhere in Mesopotamia, who’s about to get the shock of his life.
Genesis 6:9-16 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.
17-22 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”
So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
Noah already has a reputation for craziness with his neighbors. When everybody else is getting drunk and having orgies, Noah and his family members refuse to participate. When people are having sex indiscriminately, Noah isn’t interested. In fact, Noah’s neighbors can’t understand him at all and generally leave him alone. But now Noah is about to do the craziest thing the neighbors have ever seen, for he is about to build a huge boat hundreds of miles from any large body of water. And when the neighbors ask Noah why he is collecting wood for the boat, Noah answers, “God told me to do this.” The neighbors’ only reaction is “Huh?”
Does God speak to Noah audibly? Only God and Noah know for sure, but it’s quite possible. Somehow, Noah receives specific instructions about the size of the ark, the kind of wood to be used, and the animals and birds to be gathered. Considering the size of the boat and the diversity of the creatures, the writer of Genesis has obviously given us the condensed version of God’s instructions to Noah.
It takes Noah 100 years to build the ark; meanwhile, the neighbors view Noah as free entertainment. “Oh, let’s run over to Noah’s place and see what weird stuff he’s doing today!” For 100 years, God’s calling on Noah’s life tests him. We think we are doing well if we follow God specifically for a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. But Noah continues to fulfill God’s calling for an entire century, while the neighbors continue to jeer.
What can we learn about God’s calling from Noah’s story?
- A calling is for a lifetime, not for a few days or weeks. The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you are struggling to fulfill God’s will for your life, think about Noah and the length of his ministry.
- A calling can be uncomfortable or even life-threatening. Does Noah get thrown out of the local council of elders? Do the neighbors complain about the noise of the construction? Does Noah lose what few friends he has had? Do men threaten Noah’s life?
- A calling can work a hardship on one’s family. Think about Noah’s family. Do they believe in God’s call on Noah’s life as much as he does? Evidently, Noah’s sons help him build the ark, so they too are enduring 100 years of public disdain. When the women of Noah’s family go to the local well, the ladies titter behind their veils. When Noah’s sons go to market, the men with whom they have grown up slap them on the back and make vile jokes.
- God’s calling is forever. Romans 11:29 tells us, “ForGod’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” God never makes mistakes when He calls someone and He is willing to wait while humans vacillate between obedience and rebellion. We have no idea how long Noah has struggled with this calling before starting to build the ark.
- God chooses the right people for the job, whether or not they feel qualified. There’s a saying that God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called. As far as we know, Noah has never built anything before in his life, but now he’s becoming a ship builder by the grace of God.
Do you feel God is calling you to do something, but you aren’t quite sure? Ask God to reveal Himself to you. God is a good Father and He never plays guessing games.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us feel Your calling, but we are unsure and afraid we are deluding ourselves. Please comfort all those in this dilemma and confirm those calls. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment