Reflections on the Call of God

Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Observation: I wonder how Abram knew it was the Lord speaking?

Application: With the presidential race getting into swing again (which I really don’t pay that much attention to at this stage of the proceedings) it’s pretty much inevitable that a few candidates will imply or even outright assert that God is behind their presidential run. Well…end of story I guess…who can argue with that?

Seriously though, how do we know if our call—regardless of our field of work/service—is from God?

I’ve often wondered what that original encounter between the Lord and Abram was like, especially since it’s such a foundational story in the Judeo-Christian heritage. Was God wearing one of those “Hello, my name is LORD” name-tags?

More troubling to me is the call to leave almost everything he knows (nation, relatives, immediate family) to embrace what he does not yet know (“land that I will show you”). These days we’d wonder if Abram was off his rocker or whether he was joining a cult.

Honestly, I’m not sure how we know for certain when we have received a call from God. For pastoral candidates there are a number of check points that enable the wider church to help a person determine whether or not he or she has a call to ministry. That way it’s not just up to the individual to decide if the call is authentic or not. But even that system isn’t fool-proof.

Here’s the most amazing thing; sometimes God uses people (who sometimes aren’t even religious!) for divine purposes without them even realizing it…or…gasp…even knowing God! King Cyrus of Persia is the Biblical character who first comes to mind. God used him to let the exiles return home (cf Isaiah chapter 45, especially verses 1, 4, 5, & 6).

I guess one take-away for me is that whether we keep the current president or elect a new one, the president’s faith (or lack thereof) is not the ultimate determining factor for whether or not the person will be of God’s service. Oh…and we may well be in God’s service too, often without even realizing it.

Prayer: Lord, we don’t all receive calls like Abram. Often you work in ways that are far more subtle. Help us to be content to serve in whatever capacity you choose. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Genesis 12-14 and Luke 5)