Author: Pedro Junker
Editors: Talles Cypreste & Larissa Zanetti
I grew up in church and as a pastor’s kid everyone always said that I was going to be a pastor too. While I know it to be a very likely possibility, God never called me out the way he called my dad.
I remember listening to my dad sharing the story of how God called him to be a pastor when he was 13 years old, and then later when he was in his 20s. Listening to my father's stories always caused me to yearn for the same encounter, for God to show me my calling. It didn’t have to be a pastoral calling, but I just wanted a vision, a loud voice in my room, a dream, a prophetic word - virtually anything from God to clearly point me to what He wanted me to do.
I am now almost 23 years old and I have yet to have that movie scene moment. No thundering voice from Heaven. No flash of light. Nothing. This has not discouraged me, however. God has already showed me his plan for me in other ways. I walk in confidence knowing fully what God has called me to do.
I've worked with a lot of teenagers for a while now. I think it's safe to say that most people want that same experience of God audibly calling out to them. You would think that most people would be taking action to find their calling. Doing everything they can to see how and where God is moving...but that's not the case. What I see is most people standing in limbo, waiting on God to move, and doing nothing for the kingdom. Our God is a God of actions, and He’s always moving, unless He says explicitly for us to be still, we should always be moving as well.
While studying the Word, I came to realize that there is something really important our favorite bible heroes have in common. They were all doing something when God called them. Moses and David were both out in the field being shepherds when God called them. Peter, James, John, and Andrew were fishing when Jesus called them. Joshua received his calling after he had already led the Israelites through many battles in the desert. Do you see a pattern here?
What I love about God is that He created us with so much thought. Every trait, every flaw, every talent. He uses them to further His kingdom.
I want to make 3 very brief points for anyone that is looking for their calling from our heavenly father.
1) You already have a calling
I hate how people say they don’t know what to do in the church, or that they don’t know what God called them to do. Jesus was so clear in Matthew 28 about what everyone’s calling is, and it applies to you the moment you become a new creation - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20.
We were all called to fulfill the “go”. Let me be honest here: Why would God entrust a special calling for you if you are not even doing the one He already told you to do? He said to go and make disciples, to baptize in his name, and to teach others to obey what Jesus taught us. Don’t just stand there, this calling is urgent. Therefore, GO!
2) Your calling will come from a need you identify
While there are people in the bible that received a special calling from God (Abraham, Moses, Samson, Gideon, Samuel, Peter, Paul, etc.) there are many that don’t have that moment, but they see a necessity, and they act on it with God’s blessing. One of the most fascinating examples of this is the story of Nehemiah. In chapter 1, we learn that Nehemiah heard about the suffering of the people that went back to Israel after the captivity ended and how they were being attacked because Jerusalem’s walls were destroyed. In chapter 2, Nehemiah asks the king he worked for as a cupbearer, if he could go help his people, and God uses Nehemiah’s closeness to a wealthy king to give him all of the resources to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah becomes one of the coolest leaders Israel ever had, and he leads the people of God for many years in rebuilding the walls and bringing stability to everyone.
Quit just begging God for a sign of what you should do, open your eyes and look around you - What is the need? Are you in a position to do something about it?
This has been a way God has confirmed many different callings in my life: there was a need, I didn’t think I was the most qualified person to meet the need, but I was the one available, and God has been qualifying me to do it ever since I identified the need and started acting with his guidance.
3) Your career/job outside of church should improve the kingdom of God
I’ve learned this in my walk with Christ and in college. The job you chose and your function in a church should go hand-in-hand. What I’ve seen a lot in a church is you have people that are great professionals but don’t use that at all to expand God’s cause, and I’ve also seen people that do a lot in church but can’t figure it out a job/profession they like and excel at. Why do we separate the two? Do we not understand that we were created by God; therefore, the things we like to do are there for a reason?
I just graduated from college with a marketing major. I do not work for a Christian company but what I’ve learned in school the past four years I am applying not only at work but also in what I do for the church.
I felt so complete the moment I understood that I am great at things that will further my professional career, but most importantly will help people know Christ. I became a marketer for God. This applies to everyone if you are a teacher, then be a teacher for God and join the kid's ministry to use the skills you’ve learned to improve the kingdom. If you are a psych major, you better be helping the mental health of all of us Christians. If you are a house cleaner, why not use your skills to make sure your church is extremely clean and smelling nice?
Jesus called Peter, a fisherman, and said - today I will make you a fisherman of men. He used what he already was good at and expanded the Kingdom.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Song Recommendation: Here’s My Life - Planetshakers
