CHARIS SHALOM

I’ll chime in…

1. I believe that God may have a specific calling / vocation for some people. We see examples in Scripture (i.e., Paul). I’m not sure that we have enough evidence in Scripture to say that God has a specific calling / vocation for everyone, beyond his calling to glorify him, love him, and love others.

2. Again, beyond the general calling to all believers, and a few examples in Scripture, it is difficult for me to say that God has a specific purpose (as in plan, job, location, etc.) for each person. Perhaps he does.

However, I do believe that if God has a specific calling / vocation / action for someone (me, for instance) I think he will make that clear.

-Alan

Alan Knox’s last blog post..Thinking about Injustice

Alan, I’m just pondering this issue a bit. There are entire Christian ministries about calling. There are also many tests and consultants who help businesses by administering personality examinations. There also are spiritual gifting tests that seem to be little more than a personality test in “churchy” language.

Layer on top of all that human thought and practice the very real truth of Psalm 139. Think about John the Baptist and what it says about his purpose from his mother’s womb. Think of the importance of names to God and to the Hebrews. Other scriptures talk about the sovereignty of God, His creative nature, and the fact that God designs things consistent with His purpose and plan.

It is in all of that that I begin to ask myself, does God create each one of us with a specific set of gifts and passions with a specific purpose in mind AND does the enemy spend much of his time trying to thrwart that purpose in our lives???

What do you think? You seem to believe God has given you a specific calling - why wouldn’t He have that for everyone? Maybe occupation isn’t the right outflowing of that, but are we designed specifically?

The problem I have is the way we use the word ‘calling’. We SB’s use this word constantly especially as regards overseas work. Too often we use it to be place specific as in, ‘I am called to go to Hawaii’ or some such thing. I think this is one aspect of calling but it is not the only one and maybe not the most important aspect of calling. The question is is this about Jesus or is it about us? If it is about us then I need to know my calling so I can be fullfilled and successful. But if this is about Jesus then what we are saying when we say we have a calling is that God has given us the authority to do something. It is His work and His plan and He is ‘calling’ us to do something in it. So, I believe that only people who are called to Gondor should come here because only people to whom God has given the authority to work here can work here. But also, if God has given someone the calling to teach then they also have the authority to do that. In many cases a teacher can teach almost anywhere. In some cases a person has authority to do something for a time and when that is finished they move on to something else. In every case God is granting His authority to His children to do something that will further the Great Commission to which He has called us.
Well, this is my long ramble on calling. Call me if you have any questions.

Strider’s last blog post..Gandalf the White

Hey, I did not promote my own blog on your comments. That Strider’s last blog post thing cam up automatically, it’s not my fault! Cool device eh?

Yes, I hope that is okay, Strider, I installed a plug-in that pulls that information into your comment. I liked it when I saw it on another blog and found out how to do it.

I agree with what you have said and like that you have pulled in the concept of authority. I confess authority is a real problem area (perhaps even a “stronghold”) in my life and I feel like God is just now beginning to reveal more to me about authority and my own rebellion against it.

I believe it’s important to find out who we really are, what we really like to do and do well, and then work on that. That is often where our vocation from God lies and call in Jesus in mission that goes along with that.

But Alan’s point is good. Yes, there are those special callings, like Paul received. Maybe all Christians receive something of that, but for some, like Billy Graham, it does seem to be a special calling. But just thinking….

Ted Gossard’s last blog post..integrity

Ted, I’m still wondering why it is we don’t think, like described in Psalm 139, that He has a very specific plan for each one of us.

Ted, that looked like I was responding to you as though you didn’t… I meant that “we” as what I perceive to be the common view of Christians. I agree with seeking who we are in Christ, what our passions are, what our dreams our, etc., because I belive God places those there. Satan wants to destroy them.

Bryan,

I’m sorry that I haven’t replied before now. I’m not sure if I believe that God has given me a specific calling. My desire to live obediently in whatever I do. I do believe that if God has something specific for me - whether it is a vocation, or a change in location, or speaking to a particular person - he will make that clear.

-Alan

Alan Knox’s last blog post..Discipleship by example

Alan, I don’t disagree but wonder if we are all getting hung up on the word “calling” because of the way it has been used - a word directly tied to a vocation.

What if, as God pieced you together in your mother’s womb, from eternity past, He said, Alan, I am giving you great wisdom with words. I am giving you an ability to make difficult concepts simple, a teacher are you.?

Now, that doesn’t mean you are called to be a teacher in a school, but it could mean that you were designed to teach others.

And, as He continued, He continued to breathe such purposes into your design. Is that possible? I’m wondering. I think it is. I’m likely going to write another post about it.