Ways to Know God is Calling You

Is God Calling You?

It’s not an easy question to answer, because generally, when God calls us, He intends to take us out and away from the things we consider normal. But just because a situation seems acceptable, this doesn’t mean that it’s right, Godly, or even -- actually -- normal.

In our own lives, we spent years trying to serve God within our church, but were never satisfied with the options we were given. Not having undergone the newly implemented Leadership Training Classes, we had little ministry selections available to us other than the Interlocking Chair Set Up and Take Down Committee (which, for some reason, NOBODY wanted to be involved in).

And then, one day, God unmistakably and forcibly called our entire family

Out. Of. Church.

God Called Abraham

In Genesis 12:1, God called Abraham out of Ur:

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and to the land I will show you.”

In other words: “Leave everything familiar, everything that people consider normal, and follow Me someplace you have never been before. Trust that I know what I’m doing, even though everyone around you will call you strange.”

That’s what people called us -- those of us who still spoke to us, that is -- because church attendance is so associated with spirituality, that anyone presuming to leave is considered fallen away, lost, and no longer Christians. True Christians, it is understood, would humble themselves and put up with things they don’t agree with in order to maintain regular, weekly, “normal” contact with other Christians.

Falling into Complacency

It is easy to fall into complacency, mistaking busyness for service, repetition of words for prayer, meetings for fellowship, accepting someone else’s commentary for Bible study. The requirements -- though generally unseen and not written down -- are rigid and tempting to accept, which too many do.

The alternative is to be told that we’re difficult, disobedient, and not following God, but when Jesus said, in John 10:27,

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me,”

He was speaking to the Jewish leaders of the synagogue, who refused to listen to His voice. This should be a strong indication to us that, just because men say that something is so, does not mean that God does.

Sheeple

Many unbelievers, as well as Christians who longer attend establishment church services, consider the words Church People to be a more accurate description of too many of those who call themselves Christians. These Church People are asleep, readily accepting what they are told, and quick to jump on, or at, the people they are instructed to hate: radical Muslims, or the liberal left, or anyone who speaks against the state of Israel (there are, after all, Christian Palestinians).

It’s not all church people, and the answer for everyone is not to leave church, but the call to ALL Christians -- regardless of where, or how much, or even if, they attend church -- is getting very serious about our relationship with Christ, and being willing to follow where He leads us.

This may very well be away from the wide, safe road where everyone is singing songs, and lifting hands, and taking notes from the sermon.