God calls us to go to places we have never been. He calls us to do things that are far out of our comfort zone. God even asks us to become someone that is completely different then who we are now (or maybe He is just asking us to be who we really are$%:).
And when we take that step towards God's call (His 'calling' out or His 'summoning us') it is the beginning of a fantastic journey and the beginning of the end of us.
It would be so cool to be able to say that I have always responded with enthusiasm and complete confidence that God can provide. Well, I guess I could lie and go ahead and say it!
Other patterns:
But life is much messier then that. Even the hearing can be unclear. But remember, God is not asking us to hear Him perfectly or to respond perfectly. He is asking us to hear and to move in a love response to knowing that He will be there.
God just had to tell Abraham to leave his country and Abraham responded by simply calling Mayflower Moving Company, packing up his furniture and family, and leaving everything he once knew (Genesis 12:1-5).
Isaiah heard God asking the question "Who shall I send$%:" and he jumps up and down shouting "HERE I AM! SEND ME" (Isaiah 6:8-9).
Like I said, I wish I heard and responded to God's call in such a clear and passionate way.
Moses is probably a better picture of how I have responded to God's call to full-time ministry.
Moses, minding his own business in the desert, sees a burning bush and hears God's clear voice as he is called to free his nation that is enslaved in Egypt. Moses' response$%: "God, do you know how unqualified I am for this job and how unlikely I can do this$%:"
Strike One.
God gently assures Moses that He will be with him but Moses does not buy into the "God will be with you" thinking and responds with "When I tell people that God sent me they will ask Who is this God$%:"
Strike Two.
Instead of striking Moses dead on the spot God takes the time to gently explain Who He is (I AM WHO I AM) and then tells Moses exactly what to say to the Jewish people when he arrives.
Moses, probably understanding that God is Who He says He is, falls back on the excuse of how unqualified he is for the job and begins to ask God what will happen if the Israelites call him a liar.
Strike Three.
What a loser. Most of us would have quit asking Moses to lead after the first or second attempt to motivate him and give him confidence.
But not God.
God responds with turning Moses' walking stick into a snake and back into a rod again. God has Moses put his hand inside his shirt and when he pulls it out his hand is completely leprous; put it back in again and pull it out--perfectly normal. God assures Moses that if the Israelites do not believe the first miracle then God will give Moses another miracle.
But Moses just became more specific with his excuses and explained to God (as if God did not already know Moses' limitations) how bad of a speaker he was and how poor of a communicator he would be.
Strike Four.
God, literally as patient as the day is long, lets Moses know that He made his mouth and will teach him to speak and will tell him what to say when he is without words. Moses, trying to trump the hand of God and finally end the conversation, says "God, please just send someone else".
Strike Five.
God becomes angry and tells Moses that his brother Aaron can speak for Moses when it comes to the Israelites.
Finally Moses goes to his employer (his father-in-law) and asks for a leave of absence in order to go and free the Israelites from Egyptian rule (Exodus 3:1 through 4:18); and thus begins the incredible story of the exodus of the children of Israel.
Let me assure you that as a Believer God has already called you and that life has been equipping you to BE the person you dream of being.
You are called like Abraham to leave all that you know and enter into a new land of promise. You are called like Isaiah to speak the words of God to a people who are living a life of compromise and religion. You are called like Moses to bring people out of captivity and into a land of freedom.
More specifically you are called, and can be, that loving father and caring mother. You are called to be an excellent employee and a generous employer. You are called to be the loving neighbor and the peaceful brother.
Respond to God's call in your life. Do not wait around but begin to respond right now to who God has made you to be.
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