On more than one occasion I have felt strongly called to move in a direction in which I did not want to go. I did not respond to those calls with a shout of “Oh joy!” I responded to them with an, “Oh no!” Actually, the exclamation was a little stronger than that, but you get the point. Based on my experience, I have concluded that if your response is not, “Oh no!” it is probably not the call of God. The Holy Spirit always calls us into unknown territory, giving us a new name. It is a call to a place others will not go, a place where we will find new strengths we had no idea we possessed, the kind that only come forth in the midst of the battle. We will be confronted by the things we fear, and by that which gave birth to the things we fear. We fear failure. What gives birth to that fear is the belief we are only as good as our latest accomplishments. We fear being forgotten. Giving birth to that fear is the belief we were never worth remembering in the first place. The call of God makes us face our fears. I suppose some may not experience the call of God in such terms. For some it may come as a calling—the world’s deep hunger meeting your deep gladness. But I suspect most of us do not experience the call of God in such positive terms. We sense his call and we are terrified. Finding the courage to say yes requires every ounce of strength we can muster. Susan B. Anthony said, “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.”
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:20:57 +0000
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