Hiding from the public in a pile of luggage was the first king of Israel. Already chosen and anointed, coronation day highlighted a critical flaw in his life, poor self confidence. Yet even in this story, God highlights how His Divine call works in an ordinary life. What does God want from me, and how will I know when He tells me? What does the call look like? Are there key marks we should see in the story that are consistent methods of God in our lives?
Key Principle: God’s call is the most important experience of our Christian life. We must be able to recognize that call and know when and how to follow Him in that call.
God has a reason for YOU on this planet. He has something he wants YOU to do. Here are ten steps to find out what it is:
1. Listen to God’s voice! The call comes through the voice of those that know God and His Word (9:25-26).
2. Understand it is a personal call! The call is personal, and must connect with YOU before anyone around you (9:27).
3. Be patient! The call is not instantaneous; it will require a process to fulfill. When we hear His call, we must act on it by obeying a step by step process. Let’s look at the steps of this process as revealed in our text (10:1-8):
- Clarity: The process begins when God makes it clear to us. Often it is found in a role we play, a job we have or a vision we must accomplish (10:1).
- Confirmation: God confirms the call through a series of teaching situations. Our text offers five things we must learn to do:
- Integration: We will reconnect the vision to the place and roles that God has us in already (10:2).
- Provision: We learn about God’s ability to provide for us as we follow Him (10:3-4).
- Empowering: We must learn how to be empowered by God and His Spirit to do the work He assigns us (10:5-6).
- Application: We must use the wisdom and perspective God has given us to move us along in the vision (10:7).
- Timing: We must learn to wait on God’s timing to accomplish things. Faster is not better. Timing each move in accordance with God’s desires is a learned character trait! (10:8).
4. Be convinced inside! God confirms His call inside us if we are open to hearing Him (10:9).
5. Stand Out! When the call is engaged, people around us will see a change in us. We will be engaging God in a new way, and they will notice! (10:10-13).
6. Don’t shrink back! When we focus on our own ability to do well what God has called us to do, we miss the way God works. We become self-conscious and miss opportunities:
- We are often reluctant to share the call with those closest to us, but this is a mistake! (10:14-16).
- Because we grow increasingly unsure of our call, we hide from stepping out to do what God has told us we should do and have to be pushed to obedience (10:17-23).
- When we are thrust into the light of completion of the call, we will often find people affirming (10:24).
7. Learn limitations! We must learn the boundaries of our call, and how to govern what God told us to do. We will find that Godly people who went before us are very helpful with that! (10:25).
8. Find a team! We need a team of people to accomplish what God wants us to do. He will place them at our shoulders, as we should thank God for them! (10:26).
9. Expect skeptics! Some people to see YOU and not believe that God can do what He chooses through you. Their problem is they see you, but not what God chooses to do within you! (10:27a).
10. Be quiet! Don’t react to those who don’t see what God is doing in you! (10:27b).
God’s call is the most important experience of our Christian life. We must be able to recognize that call and know when and how to follow Him in that call!