Accepting God’s Call

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. —1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Our God is a God who calls people. This fact is essential to His dealings with us. After they had sinned, Adam and Eve “heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. … the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?'” (Gen. 3:8-9). Could it be that God is seeking you? The sound of His voice is disquieting, and you may think, Oh, no, it couldn’t be that He’s calling me.

Let me define what I mean by God’s call: I mean God getting our attention to make His own wish known. For example, He calls at conversion. Everyone who is a Christian is a Christian because he or she has been converted, and the reason of the conversion is that the person heard the call of God.

Allow me to ask you this question: When you get to the very center of God’s will, is it perhaps at great cost? Could it be that there is a call to a spirituality at a deeper level than you have known? What if, in your midlife, when things are going well, God puts His finger on your lifestyle, the way you have been spending your time, your money—all the comfort you have taken for granted—and says, “I have something else in mind.” The pain can be great, but the reward will be greater.

The “calling of God” is getting our attention to make His wish known. Are you ready for this? If not, get ready, for it is only a matter of time—God will call you.

Excerpted from When God Shows Up (Renew Books, 1998).