Called by God

I have been involved in a few conversations recently that raise the question, "Have you been called by God"? or better yet, "Have I been called by God"?

I was asked this just the other day.  My response.  No and Yes.  So the background.  I have been serving on the Leadership Team of the Church (Impact) we are attending here in Redmond Oregon for the past couple years.  As with all churches, our church has created some history in it's six year existence.  Skirting around the edge of that conversation, we have had a difficult year this past year.  Our new Pastor (Mike Sheldon) has our existing Leadership Team reading a few articles and thinking about our calling.  Are we serving on the Leadership Team because we have been called, or out of obligation to the organization.

The other morning over a wonderful cup of coffee, I told Mike that I have not been called to serve on the Leadership Team.  I was not awoken last night by an angel telling me to be on the leadership team ( I was awoken however by an angel named Joanna who was attacked by her alarm clock at 2 in the morning!).  I don't have a key verse that I can turn to where God made it clear that I need to show up for the next Leadership Team meeting.  There isn't a song that touched my life regarding my deep seated need to lead.  So, I guess the answer is No, I am not called.

I wonder how many times in my life, and I hope you wonder this as well, I stopped there.  Seems simple enough.  God didn't call me, I don't have to participate. I am sorry to say that I have been there.  I have consciously determined that there are things I shouldn't do because God didn't "call me".

But then there have been times in my life when God did call me.  He called me into full time Youth Ministry in one of those experiences where I couldn't hear the actual words, or see who was speaking them, but every fiber of my being knew that God had just showed up and "called me".

So what about all the other days in our lives?  All those decisions that we make, big and small.  From buying a car, to where to go to college, to if I should marry, to when/if we should have kids, to my occupation, to where I live. 

The other part of my answer to Mike was, Yes.  God has called me.  For those of us to profess to knowing Christ, we have all been called.  When the disciples first started following Him, they dropped everything and followed.  The accounts of what they were to leave and forget are truly amazing!  We were clearly called to love one another, to Go and make disciples, to be Jesus in this place.

God created me with a certain talents or gifts or skills,  then he has given me 44 years of experience, then he sat me and my family down in Redmond among a group of people attempting to serve Him.  So then the question becomes how will I respond.  Will I use what God has given me to do what God has called me to, or will I use what God has given me to do what I want?  In some areas of my life I have done this relatively well.  In others, I have ignored the call.