QUESTION 1: Is God “calling” me?

Or, What do you do when you feel a “call of God”?

Or, What does it mean to “be called”?

Many Christians seem to think that God will make it obvious, miraculous even, something like a message in the sky, were He to call them to vocational ministry or missions.

And, for some, God does indeed do that.

For most Christians however, the call to missions begins with a discontentment about the world.

• “I don’t like how many people in Region X are going without a gospel witness.”
• “Someone should do something about the brutal poverty in Region Y.”
• “God, there’s so much darkness in Region Z .  Why don’t You do something about it?”

Have you ever had that sort of thought?  Have you ever stopped and wondered if you might be a part of God’s response? Have you ever considered the glory and honor God would receive if His people did something about that discontentment you have about the world?

When we drive, if we don’t see an instruction to stop (other cars, a stop sign, a red light, etc), it’s as though we have a continuing green light; we are being told by the road, “Go”. 

I believe, in our life in the Kingdom, we have a general “green light”.  Yes, there are certainly still “red lights'', such as Paul being prohibited by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia (Acts 16:6), or matters of sin, where our freedom in Christ doesn’t permit sinful behavior.  But apart from specific conviction, or moral prohibition, we have in the Kingdom, a general “green light” to go and be “salt and light” in the world.

Have you ever considered that God might have already given you a green light to serve Him in the nations?  Have you considered that the discontentment you have about the world, might also be one that God has?

QUESTION 2:  What would I (even) do?

This is the other big one.  Even if a person has that sense of “green light” about the world, even if there is a discontentment in a person’s heart… What should they do with that?  If the problem is big enough to be noticed… would someone even make a difference?  Why bother?  How could I or would I matter?

In the story of Jesus feeding the 5000, the disciples saw a big problem.  There was a very big crowd, and the people in that crowd were getting hungry.  They ask Jesus to send the people home, but Jesus tells them something quite peculiar.  He tells His disciples to feed the crowd! 

The disciples, understandably, don’t know where to begin.  They only have five loaves of bread, and two fish.  It would cost months of income to feed such a crowd.  What Jesus asked isn’t practical.  It isn’t even possible. 

Then Jesus takes the little that the disciples do have, and He multiplies it into something that actually feeds the whole crowd.  There’s even leftovers! 

If this is tracking with you, what are practical next steps?

It’s not about what you don’t have.  It’s about faithfully bringing the little you DO have to offer, and letting God use that small meager offering in a big way.