One of our ministry’s overarching focuses for this semester is on multiplying leadership. The term sounds like something out of an organizations management handbook or a convenient euphemism for ‘replacement’. More specifically in the lovely context of the church or other Christian ministries, a common response towards invitations/challenges towards leadership positions is often the phrase “I’ll pray about it”. Rather than attempt to address the myriad meanings this phrase has taken on, my concern here is not in the process itself nor the praying even, but the related concept of the calling behind it.
The below devotional is taken from Oswald Chamber’s “My Utmost for His Highest” (January 16,2008)
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ’Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ —Isaiah 6:8
When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.
The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.
We don’t need to give the phrase “I’ll pray about it” layers and layers of meaning and risk turning it into a messy strudel of human rationale and logic, nor do we need to meticulously imbue it with truckloads of mysticism either. Those are valid concerns indeed, but they’re ultimately rendered invalid compared to the need for one to focus on His nature instead, to look at your life holistically and see where He’s been leading you. Be it a spiritual multiplier, a committee member, a GIG leader etc. any ministry you join has to be borne out of your ministry with Him.
by His Grace,
deRek (10 more weeks of school!)
AMEN to that!