How do you know when it's God "calling"??

[CaptWalker]

Was just wondering if anyone here has ever felt God calling you to do something all by yourself, and to not even expect much help doing it? Because if preaching/witnessing has anything to do with it, wouldn't we be sent out in two's just like in Luke-10:1? Since aren't those old days of the lone ranger Prophets all over and done with...?  

[johnthebaptist]

3 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Was just wondering if anyone here has ever felt God calling you to do something all by yourself, and to not even expect much help doing it? Because if preaching/witnessing has anything to do with it, wouldn't we be sent out in two's just like in Luke-10:1? Since aren't those old days of the lone ranger Prophets all over and done with...?  

We spend our lives learning how to better understand what the Lord is telling us. We have to constantly listen.

[LonerAndy]

10 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Was just wondering if anyone here has ever felt God calling you to do something all by yourself, and to not even expect much help doing it? Because if preaching/witnessing has anything to do with it, wouldn't we be sent out in two's just like in Luke-10:1? Since aren't those old days of the lone ranger Prophets all over and done with...?  

I don't know.  I am of the opinion at this point, that not everyone has a "calling".

I think some are called, and some are just given to live life best they can.

Since I was about 15 years old, I've been told I have a calling.  I'm now 43, and not one thing I was supposedly "called" to do, has worked.  And I mean absolutely nothing. Nothing at all.  Last year, 2019, was a "record" year in my life, where I barely made $30,000 for the whole year, and then they fired me.

So what is this "calling"?

Now obviously, there are people who are called.  There is no question about it.  My parents were school teachers, they were amazingly successful, loved what they did, loved their jobs, got awards and promotions, and honors and so on.  Both of them after they retired, got retirement jobs as teachers, and spent a decade after retiring, doing the job they loved.

They were called to be teachers.  Some are called to be businessmen, and some like Ravi Zachariah, were called to be preachers reaching the eastern world, and the Muslim world... effectively going out "two by two" like in Luke.  However, I don't believe that having a "calling" means specifically going out two by two.  That is what those who are called to ministry should do, yes.

But not all are called to ministry.  For example, Joseph who buried Jesus, was called.  He was a believer, the prophets predicted Jesus would be buried in a rich man's tomb.   He was obviously successful given his wealth.

But his calling was obviously not to sell everything he owned, and go out two by two, to preach the word, or he would not have been in Jerusalem and able to provide a tomb for Jesus's body.

So not all callings, are all sell everything, and travel the world preaching.   Especially if you have a family, and a wife, and kids.  Traveling non-stop, and family, usually make for a poor combination.

But as for knowing your calling when you found it... man I don't know about that.  Good luck figuring that out.  If you do, tell me.

[WowLookaDuck]

Every Christian is called to evangelize. 

[Who me]

55 minutes ago, WowLookaDuck said:

Every Christian is called to evangelize. 

In the military there are things calloed, standing orders, one is taught about them in basic training and they are not mentioned again. like saluting officers. Evangelisation, obedience to Jesus, living a holy life are all standing orders for the Christian.

[CaptWalker]

7 hours ago, LonerAndy said:

Since I was about 15 years old, I've been told I have a calling.  I'm now 43, and not one thing I was supposedly "called" to do, has worked.  And I mean absolutely nothing. Nothing at all.  Last year, 2019, was a "record" year in my life, where I barely made $30,000 for the whole year, and then they fired me.

So what is this "calling"?

 

Well maybe that's not a lot by your standards but you did a whole lot better than many are doing now, and i didn't even make half that much in 2019! Besides, a true calling is not measured by how much one makes but how much impact they have on lives of others. It's just that some happen to make 100K a year while doing it, so lucky them i guess?? Either way, i have NEVER even been given a hint that i had a "calling", but somehow i always knew. Seems like people will either try to run your life or tell you how to live it, or could care less, and i probably fall into the "who cares" category, along with many others no doubt. But that's how God wants it for some of us, and it's often just a waiting game to see what we are to do exactly...and i WILL most definitely let you know if i ever figure it out myself! (As far as living the "life" in a way that is pleasing to the Father, which I do believe is very possible for anyone.)

Edited September 1, 2020 by CaptWalker
That OCD at it again...

[CaptWalker]

5 hours ago, Who me said:

In the military there are things calloed, standing orders, one is taught about them in basic training and they are not mentioned again. like saluting officers. Evangelisation, obedience to Jesus, living a holy life are all standing orders for the Christian.

Well am familiar with standing orders but strange that i've never heard it referred to that way? But as far as the Christian life it really does ALL start there, and you have to master the basics first, so to speak, before God will entrust you to do anything of much greater significance. I think that has been my main problem over the years, but feel like I'm now much more prepared to be used by God in such a way. And this whole COVID-19 business has really woken me up to how urgent things really are now and that the time is indeed very SHORT!

[Billiards Ball]

21 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Was just wondering if anyone here has ever felt God calling you to do something all by yourself, and to not even expect much help doing it? Because if preaching/witnessing has anything to do with it, wouldn't we be sent out in two's just like in Luke-10:1? Since aren't those old days of the lone ranger Prophets all over and done with...?  

There are millions of believers helping with evangelism! If you find evangelism ponderous, I'd be happy to train you in how to get gospel presentations and salvation decisions done rather quickly.

[missmuffet]

22 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Was just wondering if anyone here has ever felt God calling you to do something all by yourself, and to not even expect much help doing it? Because if preaching/witnessing has anything to do with it, wouldn't we be sent out in two's just like in Luke-10:1? Since aren't those old days of the lone ranger Prophets all over and done with...?  

Question: "How can I know when God is telling me to do something?"

Answer: Pray, especially when you’re unsure of God’s will for your life. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7). If you don’t know what to pray, you can always personalize and pray verses such as, “Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8) and, “Guide me in Your truth and teach me” (Psalm 25:5).

The primary way God commands us is through His Word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). If Scripture commands something of us, there’s no need to hesitate and wonder if it’s really God’s will for us. He cares so much about us that He already gave a plain and clear guidebook to life – the Bible. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word” (Psalm 119:9). Likewise, God never contradicts Himself, so He’ll never ask you to do something contradictory to Scripture. He will never ask you to sin. He will never ask you to do something Jesus Christ wouldn’t do. We need to immerse ourselves in the Bible, so we will know which actions meet God’s standards. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth: meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8).

Christians also have the Holy Spirit to discern what is, or is not, God’s will for our lives. “The Spirit of truth . . . will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Sometimes the Holy Spirit will either agitate our conscience if we’re making a wrong decision, or He will pacify and encourage us when we’re leaning toward the right decision. Even if He doesn’t intervene in such noticeable ways, we can have confidence that He’s always in charge. Sometimes God will alter a situation without us even realizing He has acted. “The Lord will guide you always” (Isaiah 58:11).

If God is calling you to take a leap of faith, be encouraged by His presence. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). And remember, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

What we are not to do is expect to hear voices from God. There is a dangerous trend today where people seek to hear a “word from the Lord,” extraneous to what He has already given us in the Bible. “The Lord told me . . .” has become the mantra of experience-driven Christianity. Unfortunately, what He “tells” one person often contradicts what He “tells” another, and these extra-biblical revelations have proven to be very divisive, tearing apart church after church as one person’s experience seeks to take precedence over another’s. This results in chaos, benefiting no one except Satan, who loves to sow discord among believers. We should make the apostle Peter our example in these matters. In spite of the miraculous experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he beheld the glorified Christ speaking with Moses and Elijah, Peter refused to rely on that experience, declaring instead that “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:18-19, NKJV).

https://www.gotquestions.org/God-telling-me.html

Edited September 1, 2020 by missmuffet

[LonerAndy]

14 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

Well maybe that's not a lot by your standards but you did a whole lot better than many are doing now, and i didn't even make half that much in 2019! Besides, a true calling is not measured by how much one makes but how much impact they have on lives of others. It's just that some happen to make 100K a year while doing it, so lucky them i guess?? Either way, i have NEVER even been given a hint that i had a "calling", but somehow i always knew. Seems like people will either try to run your life or tell you how to live it, or could care less, and i probably fall into the "who cares" category, along with many others no doubt. But that's how God wants it for some of us, and it's often just a waiting game to see what we are to do exactly...and i WILL most definitely let you know if i ever figure it out myself! (As far as living the "life" in a way that is pleasing to the Father, which I do believe is very possible for anyone.)

Yeah, last year, 2019, for a brief moment, I thought perhaps I had found my place.   After 20 years of earning barely under $20,000, and scrapping by, bouncing from job to job.... I thought maybe just maybe something good would happen.

My co-workers seemed to like me.  People said I was doing a good job, so I thought maybe I actually was.  I got a pay raise to a whooping $16/hour, so maybe this was the sign that I was on the right track.

Then everything went to crap.   People started treating me like garbage again, and it just spiraled from there, until I was fired.  The good side, or bad side, depending on how you look at it, was how quickly everything crashed.  It was like "You are doing a great job, and we see you have a future here." to "The door is right over there.  Try not to damage anything on the way out", and it happened so quickly I thought the prior year was a comedy sketch.

As far as measuring your calling by money verses impacting people's lives... I don't see those as the same.  If you look up the dictionary definition of 'calling', it is a strong inclination to a particular life, career or vocation.

Now obviously your calling can be to something that is bent toward making an impact specifically on people.  Obviously Ravi Zechariah's calling was to be a itinerant preacher.  That career was to have an impact on people.  But not all callings are impactful.

For example, my uncle has a calling as an engineer.  He is absolutely brilliant mechanical engineer in the glassware industry, and because of that he makes massive amounts of money.  Money isn't the goal, but it shows the quality and value that the person provides.   Because he does provide value.  People want his skills and abilities.

But you can hardly say that his calling has impact on people.  I don't see people, saying their lives have been changed over a particularly well designed glass cup or plate.

By any definition, I have no calling, unless I'm the first ever itinerant employee.  Starting a new job next week it seems.  That will make something like my 42nd job I've had in this life?  Somewhere around there.   I can't even remember all the lousy jobs I've had at this point.  It's all good.  Life goes on.