Calling and Confirmed?

 A lot of people talk about having a “calling”. I’ve been asked the question about what my calling is, as in “Do you feel called to this career, this ministry, etc.?”  Recently I heard a talk from the author of an upcoming book, Enduring Hope, about the gift of disillusionment based on the book of Jeremiah. In the talk, the author mentioned Jeremiah 20.7: “You misled me, Lord” i.e. this job is not matching his expectations of what a prophet’s career was meant to be. He may have imagined a bit of glory, crowds listening to his every utterance “thus says the LORD” and invitations from the nobility and elite. This is what we might imagine the result of a calling to be. I know several people who feel called into business; they certainly don’t expect that they’ll be failures in the calling. 

Jeremiah didn’t expect ridicule, assassination attempts, imprisonment, abduction and more…but that is what he got. Do we expect the same in our callings? Weren’t we warned by Christ on the Sermon of the Mount that we would be persecuted because we carry His Name on our team jerseys, so to speak? Certainly we don’t expect this in America. We expect that if God calls us, He will make us successful in that endeavor.

So how are callings given by God?

Abraham didn’t have a clear road map to how we would be father of nations and a blessing to all who lived. But he listened to God’s voice. He heard from God directly. 

Jacob deceived his way into a birthright but then had to wrestle God for his calling.

Joseph got a dream from God though he wasn’t shown exactly how it would come to pass. Through many downs and ups—slavery, prison, forgotten—he finally gets into a position where he can help nations survive a 7-year drought, including those of his family.

Moses did experience God through a burning bush. That would be a definite calling—though Moses negotiated some assistance to accomplish it. Aaron’s and Miriam’s calling was confirmed by God through Moses.

Joshua had been an aide to Moses and was anointed as new leader by Moses and filled with the Spirit of wisdom.

Judges, Deborah, Gideon, Samson were called by God directly. (It is interesting that after Joshua there was no anointed spokesperson and God spoke to all the people as recorded in the early chapters of this book.)

Saul was selected and anointed/confirmed by Samuel the priest.

David…ditto.

Jeremiah heard directly from God, as did other prophets, and many thought the job was burdensome.

Daniel beseeched the Lord for the gift of interpreting dreams to save himself and other leaders when the king was angry.

Esther confirmed by other(s), namely her uncle, “for such a time as this.”

 Mary’s calling confirmed through a visitation by an angel. 

Disciples called through invitation and repeated “selection” from the crowd of followers as the chosen ones by Christ.

Matthias confirmed by prayer and the casting of lots.

Stephen was appointed by the apostles along with several others for a service ministry.

Saul/Paul was called through a vision and others laying hands on him.

Paul/Barnabas were set apart for missions ministry after praying and confirmation of the Spirit through others.

What other examples can you think of and research?

Most of the time, people’s callings are confirmed through others’ prayers, as in others are hearing from the Lord. Most, if not all, the advice given to us about looking for our calling does not require confirmation by others. The advice merely suggests that you pray and hear directly from God. I know of one Christian ministry that will not confirm a staff person’s calling; it’s entirely on the individual. 

I’m wondering if the better plan is that you take your cues from others who have prayed and invite you into a ministry—whether it’s in business or outside. Don’t let the circumstances determine whether the calling is correct. A simple example of why I say this: the storm didn’t stop when Peter stepped out of the boat at Christ’s invitation. Also, Paul would have been advised by any 1st century career counselor to only do tent-making because his main career—planting churches—was leading to being ousted, imprisonments, beatings, stonings, starvation, shipwrecks, and so on.