When God Calls

Understanding and Discerning God’s Call in Our Lives

It’s easy to dismiss the importance of calling and vocation. One might assume these concepts are nothing more than philosophical conversation topics  for newly minted college graduates. But in reality, most of us think about what God wants us to do at regular intervals in our lives: when we need to make an important decision, when we experience unexpected life circumstances, when we choose or are forced to make job changes, or when it’s time for retirement.

During these times, we often cry out to God for direction. As ReFrame Media’s Prayer Ministry Coordinator, I see requests like this all the time. “I need a job, please pray for God to show me the job he has for me.”   

Why a Divine Call?

This type of thought and prayer flows out of our belief that God has a will and a plan for our lives and that God cares about the choices we make. Ephesians 2:10 says:

“For we are God’s handiwork,created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Our desire to do good work is a result of this belief that God has prepared in advance and calls us to something. But our desire to know God’s will can leave us with more questions than answers “How can I be sure God is calling me to this?” “I thought God was calling me to that...why aren’t things working out?” “What’s my calling now that I’m retired?”

When these questions arise and begin to circle our thoughts, we desire to distinguish God’s voice from the noise in our lives.

Discerning Our Calling

Whenever we seek God’s wisdom and clarity, we turn to the Bible. In our Groundwork series “When God Calls,” we invite you to walk along with us as we dig into scripture to discover tools to help us evaluate when our suspicions are indeed promptings from God.

Together we’ll study the Bible:

• To see the various ways God can and does place a call on our lives.

• To determine whether God calls ordinary believers to serve in his Kingdom

• To recognize God’s voice in our lives

• To find clarity on why God calls us

• To discover what we should do and how we should respond to God’s call.

Join the Conversation

Whether you’re simply curious about the concept of calling, wondering what God might be calling you to do, or seeking confirmation that you’re already doing what he’s called you to do, I invite you to explore the concept of calling through our Groundwork series “When God Calls”:

• Hearing God’s Call - Mark 1:16-20, 1 Samuel 3:2-10, Isaiah 6:1-8, Hebrews 11:30-31

• Understanding God’s Call - Matthew 25:31-46 and 1 Peter 2:4-10 with special guest Andy McCoy

• Believing God’s Call - Romans 12:1-8

• Obeying God’s Call - Acts 26:15-20 with special guest Jon Opgenorth

...and together we’ll tune our hearts to God’s voice so we can stand with the prophet Isaiah and respond to God’s call with a heart that says “here, I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).