'Callings'

Pastor Tim Keller teaches us that we can identify God's call for us through the abilities, affinities and opportunities that He has given us. Through that, we constantly direct our lives on how we can serve God and people best.

But sometimes, the word 'calling' have often been abused in my opinion. Some one might say, this or that is my 'calling', and therefore anyone who opposes my 'calling' is the 'devil' or is persecuting me. We have to be on guard against such self righteousness and be humble to listen to advice from people.

'Calling' can also be used as an excuse from doing what God really wants us to do. God calls some to full time ministry and Edmund Clowney gives us a valuable way to identify such people is that they have the gift of teaching God's word. So therefore, if one has the gift of teaching, he truly has to be humble and assess if God is leading him to a preaching/teaching ministry. God also calls others to so called 'secular' vocations and if that is done for the love of God and man, its an honorable call as well.

But the danger here is that one might hold on to a secular vocation for the real reason that it is more comfortable and receives a higher salary than ministry. And therefore if he is gifted to teach, yet chooses to hold on to a secular vocation for the sake of benefits. But we have to be careful not to judge certain people who belong to such a group. Each is accountable and lives himself before the Lord.

Another danger is that we push people into ministry even though they may be gifted more for a secular vocation. We put false guilt trips on them that they are not serving the Lord and other similar statements. We have to be careful of that. If they are truly gifted for ministry, we can encourage them, and let them enter ministry with a willing heart, and there after, support them financially and in prayer.

Its all quite complex and therefore we shouldn't be using the word 'calling' to swing it anyhow to put a heavier burden on people than they can bear.