When ‘God Called Me’ Actually Means ‘I Want’
There is a concern that should be noted. It’s much safer to say you are called than to say you want to be significant, you want attention, you want to leave the problems of work stress, you want God to show you favor, or some other motivations to enter pastoral ministry. Don’t use those strategies. They’re too subjective.
Is it about what you want, or what God wants? If you’re anything like me, what you want today looks quite different from what you wanted five to 10 years ago. And it will change again. “I want” is a terrible motivation to enter pastoral ministry. The call from God is what will get you through the seasons when you don’t want to continue. It will stick with you, even when wants and desires fade.
Desire is not a good indicator of calling.
Don’t confuse feelings or desires with being called by God. Neither is trustworthy. The phrase “follow your heart” is terrible advice. Don’t. The Lord describes our hearts as “beyond cure.” “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We’ve all had desires that led to big trouble, deep regrets. And even a desire for what seems like a good thing is still just that: a desire.
On the side B, not feeling called can be used as an excuse for disobedience. If you have been called, but you don’t feel like you’ve been called, it’s an easy excuse to behave as an uncalled person, which is an excuse for disobedience. But it’s still disobedience. When God calls, it doesn’t really matter how we feel.
What you feel and desire (or don’t) are a part of how you experience and evaluate the world. But you can’t trust either of them—feelings or desires—as your sole guide. They’re not trustworthy.
Can a Person Say No to a Call to Ministry?
Sure. Plenty of people do. It’s stupid. But people do it. They’re not saying no to a job, a title, or a church. They’re saying no to God. That’s called disobedience. A.K.A. sin. Yes, it’s an option. But a dumb one. Nine out of eight experts agree: Don’t do that.
Consider all the people who did not desire to do what God called them to do. They all hesitated. And some even said no.
- Moses repeatedly expressed reluctance and gave excuses about not being a good public speaker, or that the people might not believe him. He asked God, “Who am I that I should go? What if they don’t believe me?” And he even asked God to “Please send someone else.” An option, but a dumb one (Exodus 3:11; 4:1, 10, 13).
- Jonah is famous for his rejection of God’s call upon his life. What a lousy legacy. He was sent to ask the people of Nineveh to repent. But Jonah ran in the opposite direction. His days only grew more miserable as he continued to fight against his call (Jonah 1:3). If you’re wrestling with a call to ministry, unsure whether to accept it, do yourself a favor: Invest 15 minutes to read the book of Jonah. About face.
- Gideon doubted his own ability and requested multiple signs from God to confirm his call. He asked God, “How can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest…and I am the least in my entire family.” He flat out told God, “If you are going to use me…prove it to me this way…” and then asked for multiple confirmations (Judges 6:15; 6:36-40).
- Initially, Jeremiah protested that he was too young and wasn’t a good public speaker (sound familiar?). He said, “O Sovereign LORD, I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” Maybe God forgot to check Jeremiah’s driver’s license first? Doubt it (Jeremiah 1:6).
- When God sent a man named Ananias to meet Saul (the famous enemy of the church), he was hesitant and afraid because of Saul’s reputation for persecuting Christians. He said to God, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done.” Perhaps Ananias thought Saul didn’t deserve the merciful gospel (Acts 9:13-14). Likely, he was afraid of what Saul could do to him. That would be worse than a sheep bite if things went sideways!
- The Lord sent Peter to bring the good news of salvation all people, including those who were not Jewish. But Peter had carefully followed all of the Jewish regulations. It took a special vision from God to overcome his reluctance to connect with non Jewish Gentiles (Acts 10:14).
Did their lack of desire negate their call? Of course not. It certainly got in the way. And in Jonah’s case, almost led to the eternal condemnation of an entire people group. But whether they felt like it or not, God had called them.
Your feelings are not a part of this. Get over them.
When God describes the qualifications of being a leader in the church, having an inner sense (A.K.A. feeling) of calling isn’t part of that list (1 Timothy 3:1-13, 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 2:15, 4:1-5; Titus 1:5-9, 2:7-8; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Peter 5:1-4; James 3:1; Hebrews 13:7, 17; etc.). Consider this: Paul described his call as having taken place before he was born. So did Isaiah. It had nothing to with feelings (Galatians 1:15; Isaiah 49:1). Don’t let yours get in the way.
Desires come and go. If your so-called calling is based on a fleeting desire, then it isn’t a calling from God. It’s just a feeling.
