Christians on the other hand believe that their lives were given and redeemed by God. It follows that God has rights and interests in our lives and their purpose. Scripture bears this out saying in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” When God calls a soul into His Kingdom, He calls them to a purpose, He has things for them to do. The apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes this clear as he penned one of the key passages on salvation when God grants eternal life; it includes a life mission. Theologians have come to speak of this as Vocation. Sadly, that term and its meaning have largely been neglected under a flood of self-determinism (the notion that we make our own purpose and mission in life), and accommodation to more worldly-driving purposes.
What are we to do with our lives? It is a question we all must ask and answer. For most, it is a question that has no real definitive answer, for they believe they have no one to answer. Without direction, we tend to wander, our wanderings are often wasteful, even harmful to ourselves.
God’s Calling on Your Life
When we discuss God’s calling, we often use vague and mysterious language, something broad enough to allow us to do what we want and put God’s stamp of approval on it. We make finding God’s calling a mythical pursuit based on sensations. In actuality, God has stated most everything we need to know about His call plainly in the Bible (Editor’s note: Amen!). In drawing out this truth it is helpful to think of calling in three categories which are distinct yet inseparable. We will refer to these three categories as common calling, role-specific calling, and individual calling. Before we look at these categories, we must consider the cost.
The Cost of Answering the Call
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
See also Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, and John 12:25:
- Matthew 10:39: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
- Matthew 16:25: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
- John 12:25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
Luke 14:25-33: “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
One of the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to thinking of vocation is to assume it will not cost us anything. A calling is something to commit to, and if we do not weigh the cost of that commitment it is going to be difficult to keep it. What does it cost to answer God’s call? Well, the Book of Acts and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs illustrate what following God might cost with vivid depictions of saints called to give everything. This is why Jesus said to follow we must deny ourselves, despising all else for His sake.
In Philippians 3, and most famously in Philippians 4:10-13, Paul shows the apparent paradox of the cost of the call of Christ, for such is the value of Christ that any cost pales in comparison till it is not worth considering: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
God does promise good to those who answer the call, but it is an eternal good rather than an immediate good: Matthew 5:3-12 lays out this philosophy distinctly: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
We do answer the call because it is easy, but because it is compelling. Nor should we pray for an easy mission, but rather that God would give us strength to fulfill whatever work He has ordained for us. In the hardship of our labor, we are driven nearer to God, and this really is the greatest good.
Of course, we need our daily bread to sustain ourselves on our mission and God knows this. Jesus speaks to this legitimate concern in Matthew 6 culminating in verse 33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
In context “all these things” means food and clothing. Again, God will give us what we need, which is usually different from what we want. That is the first thing that must be sacrificed to answer God’s calling, our own selfish desires. As we have seen this is a general expectation of all true believers, a common calling if you will.
The Common Call
- Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
- 1 Peter 2
- Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
- Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
- John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
- Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
We are also to fellowship regularly, according to Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Every member of the congregation is to sing together, see Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
We are all to pray. See Colossians 4:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17:
- Colossians 4:2: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.”
If we work, we are to work as unto the Lord and not merely for men. See Colossians 3:23-24: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
We are to keep God’s commandments. See John 14:15 and 1 John 5:2-3:
- John 14:15: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
- 1 John 5:2-3: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
All of this is part of the general call to all believers which every Christian shares in common.
There is no question what we are called to do, it is all laid out clearly in Scripture. Answering this common call of disciples set us up to discern, and respond to the more specific calling God has on our lives.
The Call to a Particular Role
But not every Christian is called to be a husband; some have the gift of contentment in singleness. See 1 Corinthians 7:7 and 32-35:
- 1 Corinthians 7:7: “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:32-35: “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”
Parents are called to raise up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, according to Ephesians 6:4: “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
Christian employers are called to treat their employees fairly. See Colossians 4:1: “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”
Christian employees are to respect their bosses (as far as possible without compromising their witness). See 1 Peter 2:18: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”
All of this is dependent on the circumstance which God has called us into; so we see, know, and believe that He has indeed called us to the circumstances of our lives for a purpose.
Here one notices that some parts of God’s calling on your life are for a season, while others aspects are for a lifetime. Details of God’s call may change from time to time according to His perfect wisdom, just as a soldier receives fresh orders throughout his service. We must serve the God who calls us; and not the calling. Nowhere is the danger of confusing these two greater than in the call to a particular ministry.
God calls some men to be pastors, or teachers, or evangelists Ephesians 4:10-12 (He also calls some women to appropriate ministry roles), who will earn their living by the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:3-14: those this right may be waived by some who are able and willing 1 Corinthians 9:15. To take up the details of such calls to ministry is beyond the scope of this article, but it is worth that there common and unique aspects to every call to ministry; so that we see there is a standard of living, but no standard life.
The Individual Call
This is the category we typically have in mind when we speak of our calling in life, the unique work which God has prepared specifically for us and no other. We see clear examples of this sort of call in the Biblical narrative from the patriarchs to the apostles. Church history offers even more examples, many of which became visible only with hindsight. Today the most visible examples are in ministry.
God calls some men to be pastors, teachers, or evangelists. See Ephesians 4:10-12: “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”
He also calls some women to appropriate ministry roles, who will earn their living by the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:3-14), though this right may be waived by some who are able and willing (1 Corinthians 9:15).
- 1 Corinthians 9:3-14: “Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:15: “But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.”
To take up the details of such calls to ministry is beyond the scope of this article, but it is worth noting that there are common and unique aspects to every call to ministry; so that we see there is a standard of living, but no standard life.
Martin Luther said: “Monastic vows rest on the false assumption that there is a special calling, a vocation, to which superior Christians are invited to observe the counsels of perfection while ordinary Christians fulfill only the commands; but there simply is no special religious vocation since the call of God comes to each at the common tasks.”
Even if we are not called to spend our lives as a pastor or missionaries, we have a role to play in the Body of Christ through our local church. See Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:
- Romans 12:3-8: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”
- 1 Corinthians 12
These verses make it clear that along with our common call in Christ, there is something wonderfully unique and specific to each of us. The God who knows each of His children prepared for each of them a path of good works especially suited to them (Ephesians 2:10), designed for their good (Romans 8:28), and for His glory (Romans 11:36). This is true whether you are a pastor, or a plumber; a politician, or a package-handler.
- Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
- Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
- Romans 11:36: “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
Discerning God’s Calling
By and large we know what God has called us to through the clear precepts of His holy word. If we fail to strive to walk according to the commands common to every believer, and those required by our various roles in life we have no hope of discerning the unique calling specific to ourselves. God’s specific calling will never cause you to violate any of His commandments. If you are called to go as a missionary to Zanzibar you must do so while loving your wife as Christ loves His Church.
If you are called to business in order to fund missionary efforts in Zanzibar you will come by wealth honestly, and without mistreating your employees, or neglecting your children. We must observe everything we are called to, or we will observe none of it.
This means that some paths in life can be swiftly and easily discarded, for to follow them would lead us into clear disobedience of clear Biblical precepts. We can try to justify these directions, but it is far better to abandon them entirely; such compromise is never comfortable or profitable in the end.
George Muller said: “Am I in a calling in which I can abide with God? If you cannot ask God’s blessing upon your occupation, or if you would be ashamed to be found in it when the Lord Jesus returns, or if it hinders your spiritual progress, then you must give it up and be engaged in something else.”
It is all too easy to focus on what appear to be the greater good, and use it as justification for abandoning the lesser. We are prone to esteem the specific call, and devalue the common. We say it is all to the glory of God, but we dishonor Him by neglecting His priorities and substituting our own.
Indeed, it is our own priorities which most often prevent us from finding and fulfilling God’s call on our lives. We love ourselves (in the worst possible way), and have a wonderful plan for our life. We use vague and mythical methods of discerning God’s will to place His stamp of approval on our own designs. So, we need to take care in how we discern God’s will.
At this juncture some might raise Gideon’s Fleece, or the apostles casting lots to determine who should replace Judas; but narrative is not normative. These descriptive passages should not be taken as universal prescriptions for discerning God’s will. We see the Fleece with Gideon, and the casting of lots once with the apostles, and we see other means used in other tales from Scripture.
What we ought to take away is not a method, or a particular means, but a determination. That is what all the stories have in common, and what the prescriptive teaching passages of Scripture commend a determination to know God’s will.
In this determination, there are a few steps we can take which are sure to help us in discerning the specific will of God for our life.
The first step is to be steeped in God’s word, to know His commandments, and to love them as did the psalmist in Psalm 119. We want to know the truth so as to be guided by the truth. What we do not want is direction by sensations or feeling as these are deceptive and inconsistent. Read the Bible thoroughly, and purposefully. Do not flip to random passages in search of an answer, look up a relevant passage using the index found at the back of most different modern Bibles.
Secondly, pray constantly. As much as you may desire to know God’s will for your life, God desires you to know it even more. Consider what James says about praying for wisdom in James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Ask and you shall receive. Be ready however for God to send you well outside your comfort zone, he likes to put you in the position of dependence.
Between reading and meditating on Scripture, and praying to the Father, our goal is to remain open and humble before God. Beloved, knowing God is more than half our battle. If we do these two simple things (I say simple, not easy) we will be walking in the way of the good works prepared for us.
Thirdly, be patient. God knows how much life you have left to live, and how it ought to be spent. Do not get in a hurry thinking you must go on the great crusade this instance. Trust that God will signal you when the time is perfect. It is true what John Milton wrote, “He also serves who only stands and waits.” At the same time stay watchful, and prepared to move in a moment. Complacency and impatient both cause us to miss God’s timing.
Finally, remember that God’s ways our not our ways. We must not abandon God’s call on our lives because it is too mundane, uneventful, or even apparently unfruitful. We do not always see what is accomplished by our efforts, we seldom know what sort of a difference we make. Greatness in the Kingdom of heaven is not like greatness in this world.
Can We Lose the Call?
God’s calling on your life is irrevocable. See Romans 11:29: “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” As long as you live God has something for you to do, some purpose for the life He sustains. That purpose saturates every aspect of your life, the mission encompasses all you do and all you are. God equips you for the mission.
There is no way out of it, no way around it, and no way to get over it. God does not give up on His children, we cannot remove His gifts, or silence His calling on our lives; but we can run from it, or ignore it. So long as we live here God is calling us to live for His purpose, if we think that has changed, we are deceiving ourselves.
Conclusion
God has believers to obedience, to a way of life in every arena of life. He has called some to particular roles and responsibilities. He cares for each individual and is working in and through each Christian life to mature the believer, build His Kingdom, and establish His glory.
The question is not whether He is calling, but where He is calling. Everything we need to know is contained in Scripture as our definitive guide, with the book open, and our prayers steadfast we have every reason to expect that God will guide us throughout our lives into Glory.
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