Calling
Romans 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
To call is means to summon, invite or appoint.
In the New Testament, the verb kaleo, "to call," is used 148 times, with 70 more uses of words that have kaleo as their root.
Though this word might seem a little taboo in our culture of Christianity, the concept is of vital importance in the life of a missionary who desires to partner with God by engaging chaos.
The word “kaleo” is used in two distinct ways.
The first is to speak of a summons or invitation specific to general faith in the Gospel.
Let’s look at a few examples.
In Matthew 9v13, Jesus says, "I have not come to call (kaleo) the righteous, but sinners"
In Romans 8v28, Paul writes, "...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called (kaleo) according to his purpose..."
The second way that kaleo (and its derivatives are used) is to when individuals or groups are being guided into a type of mission.
Here are a few examples:
In Acts 13, the gathered assembly set apart Paul and Barnabas at the clear prompting of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 16, Paul and his companions were prevented from traveling to the province of Asia, but "after Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them" (Acts 16:10).
Paul introduces some of his letter by declaring himself to be "a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God..." (Romans 1:1; see also 1 Corinthians 1:1).
1 Corin 7v17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him
There are, of course, many more examples of God directing missionaries throughout the Old Testament, such as:
The call of Noah: Genesis 6v9-21
The call of Abram: Genesis 12v1-3
The call of Moses: Exodus 3v1-10
The call of Samuel: 1 Samuel 3v1-11
For a follower of Jesus, calling is about asking Jesus “Where, where, how and to whom am I being deployed?
We generally consider calling to be in two categories:
First, General Calling.
This represents the overall direction provided in Scripture that helps narrow down a general directional calling that is common to all followers of Christ. While general calling doesn’t typically help with the specific questions, it can help guide us to be aware of specific opportunities as they arise. Here are some general callings found in the New Testament:
Matthew 25v40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 28v18-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
James 1v27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”
But, as you can imagine, general calling is often too general. It’s hard to discern how to engage chaos specifically.
Specific calling.
This a much more individual and dynamic expression of calling. Though God can speak in more evident ways, the general NT narrative leads us to believe we should expect to know how to quiet ourselves and listen to the gentle direction provided by the Holy Spirit to direct us towards mission. The ability to listen to and discern the will of God through the Holy Spirit is of vital importance to ensuring that we are actually partnering with God on his mission rather than simply creating our own missional movement. The greatest thing we offer as missionaries is the intimacy we have with the living God. To abandon God’s voice, God’s power and God’s presence is to become in need of a missionary ourselves.
Discerning calling requires intentionality to listen and abide. As we offer ideas, stories and resources, it will always be our intention and expectation that you wait upon the Lord to call you into his mission.