The Question of Calling

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

I have often shared with my team at America’s Keswick that if you are not CALLED to serve here, this is not the place for you!!!

A book that helped solidify my understanding of God’s calling on our lives was written by Os Guinness – The Call.

I was recently given a new devotional written by Regi Campbell. It’s called Radical Wisdom – A Daily Journey for Men.

On July 12^th, the devotional was on the topic of Calling. Now some of you will not read this because what I am going to share with you was written by Andy Stanley. I am not particularly an Andy Stanley fan when it comes to some of his theological writings. I have learned much from him when it comes to his leadership writings.

Having clarified this, don’t toss this out just because you don’t like or agree with Andy Stanley. There are people I disagree with all the time, but I can still learn from them.

Andy suggests fifteen principles about CALLING:

1. The value of a life is always measured in terms of how much of it was given away.
2. Whatever you accumulated is worthless the moment you do. We undermine the value of life by holding on to it.
3. I’ve never met a man who pursued a selfless second half of his life who would go back and trade it for golf.
4. We all think, “If I’m going to do something, I better do it now.” We are aware that we’re running out of time.
5. It’s wise to start doing meaningful things while we still have enough time, energy, and health to do them.
6. A calling is more meaningful than measurable. What matters most is usually not measurable.
7. Our fear of not mattering much can drive us away from what matters most.
8. Calling is more about burden than background. It’s less about what you know that seeing what needs to be done.
9. Burdens are emotional. What need bothers you? Sit in it. Let it bother you. God may be calling you to carry that burden and help those people.
10. Calling often begins as partnering rather than pioneering. Find someone who’s working on the problem and wade in with them. But don’t come in with guns blazing telling them how to do it better. Just help out and learn.
11. Calling is always going to be more about WHO than WHAT.
12. A way to test calling is this question: “If I don’t do this, will it feel like I am being disobedient?”
13. When you are in your calling, measure success in a whole different way. At the end of the day, you say,“Today I did what You asked me to do.” And that is enough.
14. John the Baptist, when he was pressed about who he was and what he was doing, said, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven (John 3:27). When God calls us into something, there’s an abiding awareness of who it’s from and who it’s for.
15. My responsibility is to do what I am called to do regardless of the outcomes.

That’s certainly not the kind of list that you speed-read through. These are fifteen principles worth chewing on one-by-one. Take some time and reread this list this week and beyond. What do you agree with? Disagree with? Don’t let it be just Andy Stanley. Sometimes God actually will speak to us through people we don’t agree with or even dislike. Think about it.

Set apart for more,

Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick

 

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his childhood sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 12 amazing grandkids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

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Think About This: “God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, “. . . who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.” ― Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

The Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 42-46 | You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, -1 Peter 1:6-7

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.