Do you like new things? Are you privy to change? Change is a funny thing. It sparks curiosity and excitement in some; despair and anxiety in others. Some bulk at change; others welcome it with open arms. Change can bring joy– like welcoming a new baby. It can also bring devastation and grief– like the loss of a loved one.
No matter how we feel about change one thing is for certain– change is inevitable. We can do our best to avoid it, but nothing ever stays 100% the same, 100% of the time, for all time. Sometimes, sister, we must learn how to buckle down and roll with the punches. We can’t always control the things that happen to us, and surely we can’t control every aspect of our lives.
But, what about the change that we know without a shadow of a doubt that God’s calling us to? The type of change that gives us a choice– will we step into the newness He’s leading us to, or will we fold our arms, stomp our feet, and say, “No”?
When God’s calling us to something new in life– a new path, new ministry, a future spouse, or a move across the country, we can choose to plant our feet in disobedience and not move. Or we can step out in faith, trusting God with what He has in store for us.
God’s calling you to something new
Think of a time that God called you to something new. Was it scary? A little intimidating? Exciting, perhaps? Maybe it was a mix of all three. I can think of times in my life– His calling for my husband and I to start a family; for us to become involved with the youth ministry at our church; when He called me to start a mom’s group; and yes– when He called me to start this blog!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Even though I love to write, when God’s calling on my life at the time was, “start a blog,” I bulked at that calling for a while. And by “for a while” I mean a couple of years! Every excuse in the book worked– from being too busy, what do I write, no one would read it, I’m a busy, tired mom, I don’t know how to run a website … anything you can think of, I thought of! And, I let those excuses paralyze me in a state of disobedience.
Disobedience is never what the Lord wants for our lives, but He extends so much grace, doesn’t He? He was patient with me. He kept gently poking at my heart a bit, little by little until I finally listened and decided to obey. Yes, decided. It’s always a decision, sister. We can do His will or not, but one thing I learned through this process is that His blessings come only when we’re obedient. This blog has been such an exciting part of my life since I started. Not only do I get to grow in a talent He’s given me and share that with others, but I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve grown closer to Him, and I’ve studied the Word so much over the last year and a half as I’ve written article after article.
We can’t possibly see all the blessings He intends for us as we follow God’s calling in our lives, and that’s ok. He just asks us to follow– to decide to follow. And, we have an ancient friend who, once upon a time, had to do the same thing.
Story of Moses in the Bible
So many of us are familiar with the story of Moses in the Bible, so I’m not going to retell it all here. If you’re newer to the faith, and perhaps only know bite-sized pieces about Moses, you can read about his background in Exodus 2. Moses was a Hebrew man who was marked at birth to die, yet saved, given a royal upbringing, and never forgot his heritage so much so that he killed an Egyptian for mistreating a fellow Hebrew. After fleeing to Midian in order to yet again escape death, he was married and then worked as a shepherd tending to his father-in-law’s sheep.
Why did Moses kill the Egyptian who mistreated his Hebrew brother? What angered him so much? Was it simply the injustice of the matter? Was it the way in which the Hebrew man was mistreated? Or, quite possibly, was God’s calling on Moses’s life beginning to stir in his heart even then?
Moses seemed to have a heart to keep the peace and want to set things right for the people (Exodus 2:13). He also had a unique upbringing that gave him access to the Egyptian lifestyle and royal life. Yet, he went from living ‘the life’ to shepherding sheep– a lowly, humbling job. If Moses at any point had been wondering if it was his job to free his people from slavery, he likely wasn’t thinking that was his path as he was counting sheep.
But sister, does God not use anything and everything in His sovereignty? When Moses encountered God at the burning bush (Exodus 3), the life he was living at the time appeared to look so much different than the something new of God’s calling for him. Leading God’s people out of Egypt…say what? I can only imagine Moses was wondering why he spent many years tending flocks if this was God’s calling on his life. We see this in Moses’s response to the Lord when he questions God with, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).
God’s Calling vs. God’s Callings
Pause. One thing I think we must remember about God’s calling on our lives is this: In God’s sovereignty, He knows our purpose, what He wills for us, and how all things will work out. He knows what He wants to use us to accomplish in His grand scheme of plans and purposes. Yet, it’s not our job to figure out that big, overarching “God’s calling” in our lives. He will reveal to us what He wants, and it will likely come about through the series of callings He has for us over the course of our lives.
Here’s what I mean. Seasons change; our lives go through ebbs and flows. The path we’re on right now may not be the path the Lord calls us to 5 years from now.
Currently, I’m a mom who God is calling to raise and train up my children in the way they should go. My husband and I are called to serve in youth ministry. I’m called to homeschool our children. But, 20 years from now, our children will be adults and I will no longer be called to train them up; they’ll have completed their schooling; and we may or may not still be called to serve in youth ministry. God will likely have new callings on our life at that point. It’s not our job to try to think up what those callings may be; we simply need to be obedient NOW, to the callings He has for us, right here, at this point in time.
As I look back at the 14 years of my professional career before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have a clearer picture of God’s sovereign hand. At the time, I was called to work (perhaps in the end, I worked longer than I was called to, but there goes that disobedience factor again! I’m still learning, sister!) I think about the roles I was given and the opportunities to learn new skills– skills that kept me working behind a computer with at first, basic administrative tasks; then onto learning graphic design concepts– putting together flyers, booklets, pamphlets, and the like; to redesigning a website and creating newsletters– I could go on and on! With all of these skills I was able to develop, only to then become a stay-at-home mom I could easily wonder what it was all for. What was the purpose, God, if you knew you wanted me to stay home and raise my kids, anyway?
But wait– I am able to use my self-learned graphic design skills to help friends develop projects and to create all the freebies and downloads I have available on this website, not to mention the items available at Lampstand Prints! Redesigning a website for the organization I worked for in 2012 gave me the knowledge I needed to create, design, and run the very website you’re on right now. The love for writing I’ve always had since childhood God Has turned into a desire for ministry as I write these articles. He uses ALL things in our lives; all the callings along the way to manifest new callings further along the way. Nothing is wasted when we’re obedient, even if we don’t know what the purpose of it is at the time.
Just like with our friend Moses. What better way to pick up the skills needed to shepherd the Hebrew people out of Egypt and through the wilderness than through the shepherding of sheep? His lowly, humble life as a shepherd prepared him for God’s calling on his life 40 years later.
We too, no matter what season of life we’re in, need to be open and receptive to the Lord, paying attention to the Holy Spirit and His leading in our lives. We don’t want to miss what He has for us. Keeping in mind the life of Moses, let’s explore some truths about God’s calling on our lives.
Note: I am writing this, speaking directly to you as a Christian woman— married or single. But please know that when we’re married, God calls our husbands to be the spiritual leaders of our household, and as we follow God’s authority and humbly submit to those roles within our marriage, there is beauty in obedience. God's callings require communication and prayer between spouses; be sure you’re following the Lord’s will for your family.
1. God’s Calling Brings Change.
God can accomplish anything, right? Anything. Not only that, but He can accomplish anything He desires in our lives and in the lives of our children, those we minister to, or those around us; but, as with Moses, He uses us to bring about His plans and purposes. That still amazes me! He wants to use us. Therefore, we must be ready, willing, and available.
In Exodus 3:8, we see God say, “I have come down to rescue them” referring to the Hebrews who were suffering in slavery in Egypt. God tells Moses plainly that He heard their cry and He came to rescue them. Yet, when we look at verse 10, God tells Moses, “I will send you.” So is God rescuing them, or is He sending Moses to do the job? Yes. God’s calling for Moses’s life comes about as God works through Moses and He uses Moses to bring about His plans and purposes. God could, without a word, change Pharoah’s heart so he’d let the people go. But, what does that do for Moses; for the Hebrew people? God’s calling to use Moses for His plans brought about a physical change for the people, a change in location, a change in their faith, and a change in Moses’s faith and perspective of the power of God.
Moses, when angered by the injustice his fellow Hebrew brother faced those many years ago, killed that Egyptian; but, this was him trying to go about his calling by way of the flesh. Moses now knew that through the power of God, his calling started in the Spirit and would be perfected in the Spirit, not the flesh (Galatians 3:3).
God’s plans always come with a focus on the heart of His people, not simply a change in the situation at hand.
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2. God’s calling reminds us where to focus.
When we realize God is calling us on a new adventure in our faith journey, sometimes our first response can be similar to Moses’s: “Who am I…?” (Exodus 3:11). Have you ever thought that? We wonder why God would choose us; who we are to do such a thing; or why in the world He would think we could even begin to accomplish that!
Yet, God’s calling doesn’t come with a requirement that we focus on ourselves. In fact, the more we focus on ourselves, the less qualified we’ll feel. It doesn’t matter who we are, per se; it matters who He is. And, if we trust in the Lord and walk in the Spirit, any thoughts of being disqualified vanish.
After Moses questions God with, “Who am I,” we see in verse 12 that the Lord doesn’t pay that question any regard:
“And He said, “Assuredly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” ”
God simply skips ahead to the good part– the part that reminds Moses that He will be with him as he steps out in faith and is obedient to his calling. Instead of reminding Moses who Moses is, the Lord reminds Moses of one of the most important facets of His character: His faithfulness. God directed Moses’s gaze to the correct place.
Sister, are we doing this with our kids or those we serve in ministry? Are we looking up enough, so they too can follow our lead and look up to the Lord? We don’t need to be confident in our own ability to step into what He calls us to do. Please hear me– we don’t need self-esteem or self-confidence! We need to esteem God and we need to have more God-confidence!
Let’s quit thinking about who we are and instead remember who God is.
3. God’s calling reveals who He is.
Not only do we need to look up to the Lord and set the example for others to follow in this, but there will also be times, as we’re stepping into God’s calling on our lives when we need to remind those journeying with us who God is. If you have a family, likely your calling affects everyone in your household to some degree. Newness and change bring hesitancy. But God is still the same and unchanging, and the knowledge of this truth brings peace. Don’t hesitate to communicate this truth.
Depending on each situation we’re facing, we can ask the Lord to tell us what facet of His character He wants to reveal to us and our families right now. Ask Him, like Moses, to tell you who you should tell them He is. We can take the time to review the many names of God and remind them of what they mean. Gentle reminders like these help to keep our focus on the Lord and His power and might as we step into this new situation and calling.
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4. God’s calling shows His power working through us.
You can be sure that not everyone is going to believe in God’s calling on your life in the way you do. Some will laugh. Some will resist. Some will encourage you, for sure. Yet, one thing we can be confident in is the fact that God will always display His power, might, and glory in our something new as we’re obedient. We need to just remember that it’s all about Him, not us.
Remember, the Lord, as He did with Moses, will tell us how to communicate His plan with others. He’ll give us the words to say to encourage our children or others who are affected by the change. Moses was unsure about how the Hebrews would respond to him as he shared God’s plan to lead them out of Egypt; he had reservations about whether or not they’d be on board. But God was ready to equip Moses with the right words to say to encourage them and bring understanding (Exodus 3:15).
God has all authority, and if He is transmitting authority through you (if you’re single; or you and your spouse) in a given situation, He will provide you with the communication tools needed to share His greatness and restore the people’s confidence in Him.
WHAT Not to Do in the Midst of God’s Calling
Sister, we could talk until we’re blue in the face about how the Lord is leading us in the season and the next, what it looks like, and what He desires to teach us through it. There is so much beauty (and learning!) in living a life sold out to the Lord, choosing to faithfully follow His lead throughout our days.
But we too can join Moses in questioning, wondering, and hesitancy. Like Moses, we’re human; we have free will, and have a front-row seat to the circumstances and opinions of people all around us. In light of all we may face as we’re stepping into God’s calling on our life, there are a few things we should avoid doing:
Don’t make excuses (Exodus 4:10)
Moses was worried that he couldn’t speak well, and he made sure to remind God about it! But we see that God is over all of our insufficiencies and struggles; and not only that, He can use them for His glory! His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We can make all the excuses we want, but God has already remedied them all.
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Don’t be unwilling (Exodus 4:13-17)
At one point Moses asked God to send someone else instead. Likely he was feeling bogged down and discouraged by his insufficiencies, and he was more focused on himself than God. Do we not fall into the same trap, sister? This actually made God angry with Moses. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the Lord to become angry with me!
We must remember that if God calls us we are automatically qualified and able; BUT, we still have to decide to be willing. If we’ve spent all of this time telling others about what God is calling us to, communicating His power and greatness, but then we don’t step out in faith and do it, what are we truly saying? At that point, unfortunately, our disobedience speaks louder to others than anything we’ve shared about who God is. They can see we truly don’t believe and may wonder if they shouldn’t either.
Our obedience (or lack thereof) tremendously affects those around us, especially our children. They have a better chance of learning how to have a willing heart and obey God if they see that trait in us.
Don’t quit (Exodus 5:4-23)
In light of trials and adversity, stay steady. We can remember that we shouldn’t be surprised by the trials and opposition we face in the Christian life; it’s normal (1 Peter 4:12-13). Even when we see God working and bringing His plan to fruition, we’ll still face opposition. This doesn’t negate His plan; this is simply #facts.
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ”
When Moses and Aaron first went to Pharaoh to ask for just a 3-day trip to go sacrifice, Pharaoh accused them of trying to get the Hebrews to slack in their labor. Therefore, Pharaoh made the work conditions harder for the slaves. He also beat the Hebrew foremen, who in turn went to Moses and Aaron and blamed them for what happened (Exodus 5:21). Instead of reminding the Hebrews of God’s promise, Moses turned to the Lord and blamed Him for “not holding up His end of the bargain” (Exodus 5:22-23).
Oh sister, do we not so easily do the same? A few struggles; a handful of “what were you thinking’s” and “I told you so’s” and we’re ready to jump ship, questioning God along the way. But, God is faithful, and we must take the lead from Him, not our circumstances and critics. Let’s not be swayed by others or our perspective of the path; we must simply go step by step with the Lord.
Our family quite possibly may be the first to lose heart by the setbacks on your journey; we cannot be the second.
instead, Be Encouraged!
You are a woman created on purpose! You dare to live a life that intentionally and purposefully follows Jesus. Different callings in our life can be unnerving, but the Lord has you. Your job is to be in tune with Him, following His will and His direction. Stay grounded in the safety of Him! He provides all the guidance, counsel, and peace that you need, every step of the way.
Studying the Bible is not something to forsake. I mean, we’re talking about God’s Word!