I hate the word “called.”
It’s caused more guilt, frustration, and confusion than any other word in the Christian vocabulary.
I hear Christians ask all the time:
- How do I know if I am being “called” to take or leave this job?
- Was I “called” to serve in this ministry area?
- How do I know if God is “calling” me to do __________?
- I’m scared God will “call” me to become a missionary. Will he do that?
- Is God “calling” me into the ministry?
I wish the word never existed. It simply confuses what should be a very simple process for discerning God’s will:
Calling = Desire + Gifting + Opportunity
That’s it.
- If you want to do something (desire) but don’t have the skills to pull it off (gifts) or the chance to make that happen (opportunity), you’re not “called.”
- If you have the innate talent or ability (gifts) to do something, but don’t want to do it (desire) and the door hasn’t opened for that to happen (opportunity), you’re not “called.”
- If you have the chance to do something (opportunity) but don’t have a lick of talent in you to pull it off (gifts) and wouldn’t want to do it even if you were paid a gazillion dollars (desire), you’re not “called.”
Calling = Desire + Gifting + Opportunity
If you want to do something, people have told you that you are pretty good at it, and are given the chance (or you can make it happen in an entrepreneurial sense), then you have been “called.”
Congratulations.
But someone might ask, “How do I know when I am ‘un-called?'”
It’s very simple.
Take one of those three factors away.
Right?
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