There is generally one of three responses individuals give to God’s calling for their lives. The first one is rejection. Jon. 1:1-2, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’” God was calling Jonah to speak on His behalf to the People of Nineveh, but instead of obediently doing as God was directing, He decided to run. He did not want to interact with the people God was sending him to.
Jon. 1:3, “But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” That type of response is not unusual today either. God will place a mission on the hearts of someone and they will totally reject it. Instead, they try and “run” to a calling of their own desire where they think the omnipresent God cannot find them. Of course, it does not have to be a physical running or actual place, but rather in their minds. Their act of rejecting is to ignore God, hiding from him by pretending they do not hear Him or are too “busy” to listen.
The second type of response is objection. Exo. 3:10, “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” A Slightly more complex calling than that of Jonah, but still one that would have the might of the Lord behind it, but Moses had four objections. Ex. 3:11, “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’” Ex. 3:13, “…If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’” Ex. 4:1, “…But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” Ex. 4:10, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” People often make excuses to try and disqualify themselves from God’s calling, as if God has overlooked their shortcomings and would suddenly say, “Oops! you are right, my child. Let Me find someone else to do my bidding.”
The third response is acceptance. Gen. 12:1, “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.’” Jonah was called to a specific city, and he rejected the call, while Moses’ calling was more complex but still specific in nature, and he objected. By contrast to the first two, the calling of Abraham was non-specific. It was more of a “Take your family and start traveling and when you get to where I am sending you, I will tell you to stop.” How scary is that? And yet every day, Christians around the world do just that. They figuratively (or literally) pack their belongings and head out into the unknown, to an uncertain future, but with the confidence that with God nothing is impossible.
When Jesus was discussing the difficulty of the rich man going to heaven, his disciples had a legitimate question to ask, “…Who then can be saved?” (Mat. 19:25). Jesus answered, “…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mat. 19:26). People who hear God’s calling and do not hesitate to follow it, have a unique understanding of this verse, and also of Php 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” This does not mean there is no trepidation, but their reliance and faith in God are of such a high standard that they do so despite any fears they may have.
He found Jonah; you cannot run and hide. He answered Moses; you cannot successfully make excuses. It would be best for you to step out in faith and follow His will for your life. Either way, God will get your attention, and even if you resist or object at first, great success awaits you if you eventually listen. Jonah saved a city, Moses led a nation out of captivity, handed them the Ten Commandments, and took them to doors of the Promised Land, and to Abram, this promise was made, “Gen. 12:2-3, “And 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. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God will not always call you to build an ark, leave your country, lead people out of captivity, fight a giant, warn a city, or proclaim his word to generation after generation like the Apostle Paul. – He might only call you to minister to a friend, teach a Bible class, do local outreach, help the needy, or assist with things of the church, but do not be confused – every obedient “callee” is a critical cog in the spiritual salvation wheel of God’s mighty and glorious kingdom. So, when He calls you, what will your response be?
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