![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Call-of-God_Elijah_01_660x350.jpg\")
by Regis Nicoll –
\n\u201cWhen God calls you to do something,\u201d the speaker cautioned, \u201cyour only response is, yes.\u201d I saw a number of heads nodding in agreement, but I sensed a question stirring in the heads of others: \u201cBut how do I know when God is calling?\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an important question. In fact, there is no question more important for Christians. For how can we follow Christ, if we can\u2019t tell his call from that of the culture or of those darker angels that would lead us into temptation or prod us to another have-to, got-to, need-to duty that seems good and feels good\u2014and maybe, is good\u2014but is not God sent? <\/p>\n
The answer is, we can\u2019t\u2014without first recognizing the means by which God calls us. <\/p>\n
But how do I know when God is calling?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Prior to Pentecost, God called individuals in four ways: Directly, through some physical manifestation of himself (the burning bush); indirectly, through divine messengers (angels); subconsciously, through a dream or vision (Jacob\u2019s \u201cstairway to heaven\u201d); or personally, through God incarnate (during Jesus\u2019s earthly ministry).<\/p>\n
The Book of Nature<\/strong> Our design, as with any intelligently crafted object, reflects our purpose and, thus, is indicative of what God may or may not be calling us to. Here, the Socratic dictum, \u201cKnow thyself,\u201d is particularly apt.<\/p>\n At 6\u20194\u201d and 200 lbs, I am not fit to be a jockey, nor is a jockey fit to be an NFL player. From design considerations alone, the desire of either of us for those careers can be dismissed, out of hand, as originating from God.<\/p>\n God\u2019s call would not be to a same-sex union, committed or otherwise<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The same goes for someone contemplating a same-sex relationship. Because homosexual couples cannot combine to accomplish the primary function of sex\u2014namely, reproduction\u2014God\u2019s call would not be to a same-sex union, committed or otherwise, but to celibacy or to a union that, by design (if not in effect), is compatible with that function.<\/p>\n Added to a unique mix of inborn physical, mental, and psychological features, each Christian is endowed with spiritual gifts that equip him for service in God\u2019s kingdom. Thus, spiritual gifts\u2014and,\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0spiritual gifts align with inborn traits\u2014are important \u201cpointers\u201d to calling.<\/p>\n For example, a Myer-Briggs\u00a0ENFJ<\/a>\u00a0personality type combined with the gift of shepherding could point to a calling as a pastor. On the other hand, an\u00a0ISTJ<\/a>\u00a0who has the gift of teaching is not likely to be called to a ministry of hospitality. (By the way, that\u2019s me.)<\/p>\n But while spiritual gifts and natural traits can\u00a0indicate<\/em>\u00a0a calling, they are not sufficient to\u00a0confirm<\/em>\u00a0a calling. For that, we need the other Book\u2014the Book of Scripture.<\/p>\n The Book of Scripture<\/strong> God\u2019s calling will always be consistent with His revealed will.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Rather, God\u2019s calling will always be consistent with His revealed will. It is a tragedy that many Christians have left their spouses, aborted their children, or taken on huge debt in the belief that God\u2019s will for them is to be happy. But God\u2019s will is not that we would be happy, but that we would be\u00a0content<\/a>\u00a0in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.<\/p>\n His ultimate\u00a0intent<\/a>, of course, is that we \u201cbe conformed into the likeness of his son.\u201d With that in mind, we should be wary of any nudging that, while not sinful, immoral or unethical, is not conducive toward that end.<\/p>\n Thankfully, believers are not left alone with their unaided reason to puzzle out the\u00a0written<\/em>\u00a0Word. We have the\u00a0indwelling<\/em>\u00a0Word, the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus, the\u00a0incarnate<\/em>\u00a0Word, promised, \u201cwill\u00a0teach<\/a>\u00a0[us] all things\u201d and \u201cguide<\/a>\u00a0[us] into all truth.\u201d But to receive his counsel, we must create space for him to speak through the disciplines of prayer, silence, contemplation, and study.<\/p>\n We also have the\u00a0corporate<\/em>\u00a0Word\u2014that is, the Church\u2014the body of one-another knitted together under the Lordship of Christ for mutual support, accountability, encouragement, and\u2026 let\u2019s not forget, teaching, correction, and discipline.<\/p>\n … by Regis Nicoll – \u201cWhen God calls you to do something,\u201d the speaker cautioned, \u201cyour only response is, yes.\u201d I saw a number of heads nodding in agreement, but I sensed a question stirring in the heads of others: \u201cBut how do I know when God is calling?\u201d It\u2019s an important question. In fact, there … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":497,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68,177,15,35,86,157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-false-teachers","category-moral-issues","category-philosophy","category-scriptures","category-wisdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/497"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11788\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxytoday.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe psalmist\u00a0tells<\/a>\u00a0us that God speaks through his creation: \u201cThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hand. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.\u201d And since humans are part of his creation, God speaks through human nature too.<\/p>\n
\nWe know, or should know, that God will never direct us to something that is contrary to his Word. Thus, any notion enticing us down a path that is intrinsically sinful (adultery) or that will lead us into sin, is counterindicative of God\u2019s calling.<\/p>\n
\n____________
\nExcerpts from: Crisis Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"