If you’ve ever banged your head against a wall, begging God to show you what He wants you to do with your life, you’re not alone! Many followers of Jesus wrestle with the foundational question of their calling or vocation. And it’s vital to get this right! Our most important life decisions are connected to the way we understand our calling.
But what makes this topic so bewildering for many? I believe there are at least four areas of confusion that many Christians struggle with as they consider their call.
Confusion #1: “Only some believers have the call of God on their lives.”
Scripture is clear that God designs each person uniquely. He intentionally places each of us in the time and setting in which we live (Acts 17:26); He has created us individually as distinct from all others (I Corinthians 12:12-27); and has gifted us differently as well (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).
But in all this uniqueness, we find similarity as well. Part of this similarity is that all Christ-followers have been called on a shared mission to see the redemptive work of the Lord completed in our world. The concept of the work of the Lord appears multiple times through the New Testament—and as you’ll see below, it wasn’t spoken to leaders alone, but to every member of His Body.
- Matthew 9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
- Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Ephesians 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
- Colossians 4:17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”
And the most powerful of these verses is found in Paul’s writing to the church in Corinth (not to a group of pastors). He says to them, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
How many Christians are “laboring in vain” because they don’t understand they are called by God to participate in His redemptive work in the world? How many are burned out and hate their jobs because they just see their work as a means to a paycheck rather than a means to touch people and environments with God’s grace?
When the church receives a fresh revelation that we are all called to always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, God’s light will begin shining in places we’ve assumed would forever be dark.
Confusion #2: “God’s call should result in a paycheck.”
When we think about the concept of being “called by God,” we often equate that with a calling to vocational or full-time ministry. It’s understandable how we’ve come to blend those concepts in our minds. We’ve watched God’s call on certain people lead them to take up jobs in vocational ministry positions: pastors, missionaries, counselors, teachers, and other roles that result in a ministry-derived paycheck.
But God’s call goes far beyond those serving in paycheck-oriented ministry roles. In fact, there is no way that the mission of God in the world would ever be completed if it depended on vocational ministers alone to get the job done.
So instead of using the language of full-time ministry, I believe it is much more helpful to speak of life-longministry. When God calls someone, it’s forever, regardless of whether that calling ever results in a paycheck. In Romans 11:29, Paul declares, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
That “irrevocable” call of God may manifest itself in many different forms over a person’s lifetime. For a season it might look like an unpaid internship, then a paid pastoral assignment. Then that pastor could take up a global mission assignment that could segue into a non-profit or for-profit leadership role, which could eventually open doors to mentor others in a classroom environment. Or God’s call may lead a plumber, president or proctologist to dedicate discretionary time to serve under-resourced kids in the community.
The point is that some of these roles are considered “full-time ministry” positions and others are not. But all the while, God’s call remains unchanged! You should have the expectation that God’s call on your life will likely take many different shapes and forms over your lifetime. How you derive your paycheck is quite irrelevant—but how you live your life in response to God’s call is not!
And think about this: There isn’t enough money within the church to fund a large percentage of full-timeministers anyway. If we view only the “paid professionals” as the primary drivers of ministry, we’re sunk. Unfortunately, that limited view of ministry leadership is rather pervasive in the church today. We need a new exponential view of ministry leadership that is unlocked as Christ-followers begin to understand their life-longcall to ministry, regardless of where they earn their paychecks.
Confusion #3: “There is only one way to receive God’s call.”
There is a tendency for Christians to believe that God’s call on their lives will happen during a powerfully mysterious encounter with God. We base much of this on the scriptural narratives of dramatic encounters that God had with Abraham, Samuel, Isaiah and Saul of Tarsus. Those kinds of experiences (sprinkled over thousands of years with just a handful of people) become the default expectation for how God “calls” His people into ministry service.
And while those dramatic, experiential kinds of callings are certainly possible, we find in the New Testament this is only one of three distinct ways we observe God calling His people to service.
1. God’s Voice
First, here are two examples of this more dramatic, experiential form of God’s calling.
- Acts 9:3-6 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
- Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
2. An Invitation
The way we see Jesus “calling” the disciples was through a relational invitation: “Come and join me on mission.” We also see this repeated by Paul in the way he recruited (called) Timothy to become his ministry apprentice.
- Matthew 9:9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
- Acts 16:1-3 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
3. My Choice
Finally, we find teaching and at least one biblical example that supports the reality that believers can self-direct themselves into the work of the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
- Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
- 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.
And in light of 1 Corinthians 15:58 (“always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord”), we can strongly and biblically affirm followers of Jesus who stand up and declare, “Here I am, Lord! Use me!”
In my experience it seems believers tend to discount God’s call when it comes through an invitation or through their personal response to the Spirit’s prompting. Why is that? Was Matthew’s calling any less valuable than Samuel’s? Was Timothy’s calling any less important than Paul’s? Was Stephanas’ calling any less significant than Isaiah’s?
It’s likely there are many more people in our churches who will identify with Stephanas and his personal response to God’s call than with Isaiah and his dramatic experience in the presence of God. Let’s start preaching more about Stephanas and encourage everyone to join in the work!
Confusion #4: “I have to find God’s ‘perfect’ will.”
Many have confusion over the reading of Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
This has led some to view God’s will like concentric circles: the outer ring is what God will tolerate, the inner ring He likes a little better, but it’s the bullseye that really gets His blessing. This target-shaped view of God’s will causes people to continually chase after the “dot” of His “perfect” will. And it leads people to believe there is only one thing they can do in their lives that God will truly bless: one person they can marry, one city in which they can live, one job, one ministry, one, one, one. This pattern of belief is so tiring—since chasing the dot is hard work! It also causes some not to do anything at all, because the “paralysis of analysis” takes over and rather than step into mission, they freeze.
But a careful reading of this Scripture tells a different story. It is stating that all of God’s will is good; all of God’s will is pleasing; all of God’s will is perfect. Therefore the “dot” disappears altogether—no more chasing, no more paralysis.
Rather than target-shaped, God’s will becomes more like a circle. There is still a clear boundary, one defined by God’s Word itself, letting us know if we are inside or outside of His revealed will. But once we step into the “circle of God’s will,” we become free to go to places of our choosing where we seem to best fit. The truth of 1 Corinthians 12 is important here: if you’re hand, be a hand; if you’re an eye, be an eye. You are absolutely free to be who you are in the context of God’s good, pleasing and perfect will.
And if there are times you sense God has a particular place in this circle He wants you to be, then by all means, run there quickly! But most of the time it seems He allows us to make good choices based on who He’s created us to be. He’s also placed us within community to help bring affirmation or correction to the decisions we’re processing.
You may ask, “But what if I choose wrong? What if, despite my best intentions, I really screw things up? Won’t God be disappointed with me?”
Those are great questions, ones we probably all have asked at one point or another. But let me pose a different question. Is God a good Father? Everything I read in Scripture and all I’ve experienced in life (even the painful parts) indicates that He is indeed good (Romans 8:28, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 145:9). So what do good fathers do when their children make mistakes? Good fathers lovingly and tenderly redirect their kids to ensure they’re on the right path.
We see in the Gospels that was exactly how Jesus worked with His disciples. These were good men who loved God and had stepped into the circle of His will—but they still made frequent mistakes! When they did, Jesus redirected them, helping them get to a new place or perspective. He didn’t beat them up; He loved them and led them. Why do you think Jesus would treat you any differently?
One of the ways God redirects us is through opening certain doors in front of us and closing others. In Revelation 3:7-8 we read, “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” And, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”
A door that’s shut and locked tight can be frustrating for the moment until we realize that God may be saving us from the misery we’d experience on the other side, or that He’s redirecting us to a place where we’re needed at the moment. See how this played out for Paul and his friends in Acts 16:7-10.
When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
This open-or-closed-door reality was something Paul learned to discern while he was participating in God’s mission. Read what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9.
But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
The fact that there was opposition in Ephesus didn’t dissuade Paul from staying right where he was. The presence or absence of conflict is no indicator that we’re in God’s will! A better test—and one Paul seemed to be using here—is whether or not we are being effective. Am I bearing fruit where I am, doing what I’m doing?
And here is one final example from Scripture of God opening a door yet still giving absolute freedom to run around the circle of His will. It’s about Paul again, and is found in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13.
“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.”
God opened a door for Paul in the city of Troas—but he decided to pursue a different pathway based on where his friend was. And God didn’t seem to mind one bit. Because Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, God went with him wherever he went. When he left Troas, God’s Spirit (and His blessing) didn’t get left behind. Paul wasn’t departing from God’s will; he was just exploring a different part of the circle. And as God’s presence went with Paul, we can expect the same in our own stories.
In conclusion:
- You never have to doubt if you have a call of God on your life. Indeed, you do! You were created with a mission in mind, formed by Jesus to do good works.
- Where you earn a paycheck is rather irrelevant, but your calling is not. Don’t wait for a title or position to get on with your mission.
- You may or may not ever have a dramatic encounter with God like Saul or Samuel. You may find, like Stephanas, that you get to simply devote yourself to the mission of God in the world.
- Once you’ve stepped into the “circle of God’s will,” you are free to run around being you while participating in God’s mission. And you can trust He will lovingly open and close doors to redirect you as needed.
