DEVELOPMENT OF A CALL

Do you know that you know that you know that you are exactly where you need to be in God’s history? Are you convinced of your call? And if you are convinced of your call, does this mean you are enamored with every aspect of your particular ministry assignment? And if the enamor is absent, are you questioning your ministry?

Answering these questions become critical as a movement is being built. You want those involved to have a sense of call. You want them to have a pull of destiny on their lives. A movement supersedes motion. Something can be in motion, but have no movement. A running car’s engine is in motion, but if the gears are not engaged there will be no movement. A movement necessitates engaged leaders; engaged leaders share both call and destiny. Here are some things to consider as you weigh your call and sense of destiny.

Call is forged in changing circumstances. Change happens. It is in this change dynamic we form our calling. We may be pursing our call in an area when something changes. An opportunity rises. An unexpected dismissal occurs. A life-situation shifts. Does this mean the call has ceased? No! It means we have the potential to forge our call in the new circumstance. Never let the circumstance define the call. Instead allow the call to flesh itself out in your circumstance.

Call may be prompted by passion, but it must not preside there. Passion alone a call does not make. I am very passionate about football, but this is not where my call presides. To think that passion alone dictates ones call is irresponsible. Passion is often short-lived. A genuine call has staying power. Passion can deplete, a call draws us to something beyond ourselves. Passion can be counterfeited, but a call resides in the deep waters of confidence.

Call is motivated by overall purpose not any one particular. There will be things about the call a person will not like. The ministry responsibility that is the current vehicle to transport the call may have particulars you would rather not do. But if the overall purpose fulfills you, the frustrating particulars can be handled. Now, if the overall purpose is de-motivating, you may want to evaluate.

I heard it said, “People who have a sense destinies die old and unhappy or young and unfinished.” This seems a bit pessimistic, but striving to fulfill ones sense of destiny can be frustrating. Consider these observations as you pursue your destiny.

Destiny is beyond any one daily activity. Many have heard the parable of the Bricklayers who were asked, “Why are you doing this job?” The first worker: “I am doing this for the wages.” The second worker, “I’m doing it for my family.” The third worker, “I’m helping build a cathedral.” But a fourth response is lacking, “I’m doing this because I love laying bricks.” It is not the daily stuff that we do that brings a sense of destiny, but it is the reality beyond the daily stuff.

Destiny is not the one thing. Destiny is not the pursuit of that ONE thing we can do; instead it is building off all we experience to discover the best thing we can do. Destiny is much more about being who God has created us to be, than doing something God has called us to do.

Destiny is something we actually know deep down. Most of us really do know our destiny. We typically are too frightened to share it, or face it. Most leaders have a level of “destiny drive” that motivates them. It seems we all hear, in our own version, the words of Mordecai to Esther, “…who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 5:14, NLT).

Movements don’t simply happen. Movements are lead, inspired, encouraged and motivated by persons of call and destiny. Who is to say that person is not you?