A New Kind of Call

[Wilson L. Deaton]

I was reading 1 Timothy the other day and the following verse got me thinking...

1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

Have you ever known someone who had their heart set on some ministry but didn't "feel called?" I have. Might the desire have been the call, while they looked for something else?

To what extent is a "call" a matter of having your heart set on it? As Spirit-filled Christians, to what extent can we assume our will is aligned with the Father's will?

Wilson

[Martijn van Beveren]

I was reading 1 Timothy the other day and the following verse got me thinking...

1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

Have you ever known someone who had their heart set on some ministry but didn't "feel called?" I have. Might the desire have been the call, while they looked for something else?

To what extent is a "call" a matter of having your heart set on it? As Spirit-filled Christians, to what extent can we assume our will is aligned with the Father's will?

Wilson

Hi Wilson,

Well, interesting point. I've also been wondering about it. From my own experience I cannot really tell about a definite calling though I do the best I can when it comes to being a Chistian, but as I look at my surroundings, I know that a calling doesn't always go right or the way it was suposed to go. In what exend do we decide for our own and how far does a call from the Father go. Maybe it has to do with maturing in faith?
To what exend are we led and to what exend do we have to make it on our own judgement?
If we look at the bible, the OT lets us see that God leeds the way for His people, in the NT we see Paul being called(or stopped). Did the discipels have a clear call? Well, if we take the part where Jesus tells them to go out and spread the gospel to the world, we might assume that is a call. Though it doesn't give them a certain direction (kompas LOL). The focus was on telling the good news, helping ppl, be in contact with the H spirit.
So it seems more to me that we get a call to go out there. Though sometimes the disciples got the word from Jesus to go get a donkey and say this and that. That's pretty literal. or something like this: Act 2:17

That's about it for now, I gotta go back to work...
Marty:basic05

[Billy Cox]

I was reading 1 Timothy the other day and the following verse got me thinking...

1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

Have you ever known someone who had their heart set on some ministry but didn't "feel called?" I have. Might the desire have been the call, while they looked for something else?

To what extent is a "call" a matter of having your heart set on it? As Spirit-filled Christians, to what extent can we assume our will is aligned with the Father's will?


I confess my bias up front that I am disillusioned with the whole notion of 'the call'.

I have come to see the call to a specific ministry role as a self-serving badge of authenticity talked about mostly by people who claim to have such a call. (what a coincidence) Would-be clergy look at Bible characters like Samuel, Paul, or Moses, and get a hyper-inflated sense of importance or we laypeople impute such importance to those who claim to have such a call.

Evangelists and preachers have made matters worse by projecting their own 'call' as a third work of grace. One gets saved, then sanctified, then called to ministry, or in the case of a woman, she marries a pastor or becomes a missionary. I've never heard a preacher story where a person gets saved, sanctified and then becomes a middle of the road life insurance salesman.

I believe that every person has abilities, and God calls us to somehow use those abilities for the benefit of others...period.

To answer your question Wilson, I believe that many people with a genuine call are quenched by their own insecurity and by an idolatrous understanding of divine calling reinforced by the clergy.

[David Cash]

I guess I tend to view a call as a strong sense that a particular ministry is God's will for one's life. It doesn't necessarily make the called person a superstar or particularly important person. To me, it's more of a personal obligation to do a certain work.

Having said that, I would agree that a strong interest in or desire for a particular type of ministry might well be God's way of leading a person into that work. Where it all gets tricky is when we start to examine our motives. If the desire stems largely from such fleshly thinking as looking for a soft career, prestige, etc. then the interest probably doesn't constitute the call. (And the soft career and prestige will probably also turn to vapor when this person actually gets involved in ministry.) On the other hand, if the motive has more to do with the desire to serve God, or to meet a particular need, or even just a love for what God is doing, then it would seem possible to me that God might be speaking to that person. These motives of course will have to be judged by the person himself or herself.

My sister who is about to go out as a missionary has a deep interest in missions, but has a hard time describing herself as called. The steps that have led to her accepting an overseas office position with a missionary organization do seem provedential, and it would be very hard to say that God wasn't sending her.

There are a whole lot of issues that go with the question of a call to ministry, and this could get to be a huge discussion in a hurry. For instance, what about the person who feels called but can't get their church or denomination to put them into a ministry? Or what about the person who serves for a while, then gets forced out? Or what about the person who has others saying "God is calling you" who won't believe it? But that's expanding the discussion too far.

I'd agree that a strong interest or desire, if it comes from a pure heart could well constitute the call of God.

David Cash

[Mark Bolerjack]

Evangelists and preachers have made matters worse by projecting their own 'call' as a third work of grace. One gets saved, then sanctified, then called to ministry, or in the case of a woman, she marries a pastor or becomes a missionary.

Women are also called to ministry, not just marry ministers. Surely you are not saying that women cannot be ministers! That is asking for war on this board!

[Billy Cox]

I was engaging in caricature. I believe that women can be called to ministry, but there are some powerful forces in opposition...some of them manmade and some of them springing from maternal instinct.

[Dennis M. Scott]

Having served on credentials boards on three different districts, the observation might be made that there is a fairly inclusive understanding of the call, inspite of denominational committees and studies reflect. That's not necessarily inappropriate. My call was pretty dynamic - at least sufficiently so for me - and left little doubt as to how I should proceed. Others whom I admire the Lord seems to have gently and almost indescernably opened doors and then blessed ministry. To say that many struggle and labor over their call would be accurate. Seems that the Lord might make it clear enough to proceed, but that's easy for me, given the loud voice He with which has directed me.

[Mike Schutz]

Greetings!
I have known several people who prayed to receive a call, and were disappointed that "it" did not come. One person, a fairly well-known person in one area of full-time christian service, prayed for a call to be a missionary or a pastor. His father, grandfather, and uncle had such a call.

About 15 years ago the general church began working with the Gallop organization to develop an interview-based test that would assist in "perceiving" those called to pastoral ministry and church planting. An instrument was developed and some of us were trained in its use. However, it was not accepted for general use. My opinion was that some people felt that it would distract from the subjective, "mystical" nature of the call. One college professor told me that if such "objective" measures were used when he was younger he would not have been supported in his call, as this kind of measure would too narrowly define those characteristics and personality traits appropriate for pastoral ministry.
(Please note that I am not arguing for or against this particular instrument or such measures in general. Just thought that this would be an interesting addition to the discussion.)

Personally, my call was, and continues to be, quite simple. It involves three observations:
1. I cannot imagine doing anything but serving God,
2. The community of faith has affirmed that I have the gifts and graces for vocational ministry,
3. I have no other discernable skills that anyone would pay me to do. In any other line of work I would be a total failure and a burden on society. As a pastor, I am just a burden on my wife, my congregation, and my D.S. My goal is to someday be a burden on my kids. :basic05

[Brad Mercer]

I know that I couldn't do anything but what I'm doing. It would violate my conscience. It would leave me unfulfilled and feeling distant from God. I feel not the slightest call whatsover to spend the rest of my life jumping from church to church with only superficial and condescending personal relationships, so the traditional life of a pastor as I saw it growing up has no appeal to me at all. In that sense, I am not called to be a clergyman. I feel no desire to spend the rest of my life just occupying myself with busywork in a local church, as seems to be the lot of most laymen, so I don't really feel called to that, either.

What I'm called to, I'm definitely called to, but I only know it's for right now. I don't know whether it's for life. And I experience it more as a mere function - a mission or ministry - than as a role or title, in which I have very little interest. I only have an interest in further training or credentialing to the extent that someone convinces me it will genuinely make me significantly more effective in my mission.

Brad Mercer
(customer service manager for a construction industry trade association, district-licensed minister, church planter, talker, writer, dreamer; formerly litigation claims adjuster and professional advocate for disabled children. M.A. in History. Wouldn't know what to call my call if I had to. It certainly wasn't a career path I remember anyone laying before me on career day in high school.)

[Gina Stevenson]

Brad Mercer
(customer service manager for a construction industry trade association, district-licensed minister, church planter, talker, writer, dreamer; formerly litigation claims adjuster and professional advocate for disabled children. M.A. in History. Wouldn't know what to call my call if I had to. It certainly wasn't a career path I remember anyone laying before me on career day in high school.)

In all this list of things you done/are doing, you forgot one ... you just love to/and always "wanna be a blessing," Brad! :basic05 Yeah, I guess you are ... even in those times when it's TIC, b/c it's good for a laugh then. 'Enjoyed hangin' out at your house when y'all were in TX, in spite of being sooo tired while moving x-country. ;)

[Brad Mercer]

'Enjoyed hangin' out at your house when y'all were in TX, in spite of being sooo tired while moving x-country. ;)

Yep, it was good. You're an encouragement. Thanks.

Brad