Is God Calling You?
When someone says, “God called me to _____,” what does that mean? Does it mean they have figured out what they’re passionate about and have decided to use their gifts to serve in that way? Maybe.
But often in the Bible, God called people to do things they DIDN’T think they were gifted at or passionate about.
When God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he made excuses. “Lord, I’m not very good with words… I get tongue-tied.” When God told Jonah to preach to the people of Ninevah, he ran the other way. When God asked Gideon to rescue Israel from the Midianites, he complained that he was the least important person in a puny little clan.
And just like them, God may call you to do something you don’t feel qualified for; something you’re not very excited about.
A week ago, I was blessed to attend a 2-day summit of Ecuador missionaries and supporters. While there, I had a lunch conversation with Rick & DeAnna Morales, from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and they shared his “Moses calling” story with me.
Rick was born in Ecuador and speaks fluent Spanish, but his family moved to the States when he was six, so he grew up here. Ten years ago, he was preparing to retire from a career with the Air Force and was working on a master’s degree.
Rick & DeAnna are members of a church that’s active in mission work around the globe, including Ecuador. One of the members of their church had formed a team to go on a summer mission trip there, but they needed a translator. They asked Rick to go, but there was no way he could join them as their trip was scheduled for his finals week.
Did I mention that Rick’s job with the Air Force was working out the logistics for teams to deploy into foreign countries?
The mission team begged Rick to go, but he said he couldn’t miss his finals. They asked him to see if his professors would let him take his tests later. Rick didn’t think that was possible, but guess what? He checked, and they all agreed to accommodate him.
God went ahead of Rick and worked things out. Rick did go on that trip, and he fell in love with the work in Ecuador. Now he and DeAnna organize multiple mission trips to Ecuador every year. Their enthusiasm for the work there is infectious, and Rick’s story helps me understand that God may call me to do a job I don’t think I’m qualified for or that I don’t even want to do.
Maybe I should say, “Yes!”
Is God calling you?