Living Out God's Call, No Matter What

Last July, I had the amazing opportunity of serving for two weeks with an indigenous Christian mission in Northern India. We had the privilege of learning from and building capacity in about 80 pastors and lay leaders along with 20 young women who were part of an eight-month discipleship/vocational training program.

I was deeply encouraged and challenged by the faith of those who came to the training. One Indian pastor, who has been almost blind for 30 years, travels from Hindu village to Hindu village sharing the Gospel. Villagers have beaten him seven times for his fervent witness. Yet, despite the opposition, 200 Hindus have accepted Christ through his ministry! God has called him to share the Gospel and he is prepared to do so, no matter what the cost is.

Another pastor, who grew up in Bhutan, came to Christ through a near-death experience involving explosives. Sharing your faith in Bhutan is illegal. Yet this man, like Peter and John in Acts 4:18-20, cannot stop speaking about Christ. Despite serving two prison sentences, he has seen many come to faith and has planted several churches. Even now, in his 80s, this pastor continues to live out God’s call on his life by proclaiming the Gospel boldly.

During our last day in India, we toured Mother House in Kolkata where Mother Teresa lived and worked. As I walked through a section of the House devoted to remembering Mother Teresa, one of Mother’s quotes deeply moved me:

“I do not want to be successful; I want to be faithful.”

For Mother Teresa, true success was being faithful to God and His call on her life.

What do you sense that God would have you to focus on in the months ahead? What are His priorities for your life?

In a previous blog, I shared about Why Understanding Your Personal Calling is Important. When we understand God’s plan for our lives, it helps us to stay on track with His priorities. We live with passion and purpose, willing to make significant sacrifices to follow our Lord’s directives.

If you’re not sure about God’s call on your life, I would encourage you to think about the Scriptures or quotes that give you focus and direction. As you reflect on these, what are the themes that emerge? Based on these themes, craft a one-sentence life purpose statement (you can read more about identifying your life purpose in a blog called Three Steps to Understanding Your Life Purpose in a Deeper Way). 

Does your statement of purpose excite you? Do you experience God’s pleasure and blessing when you live out this purpose? If so, you have likely discovered God’s call on your life.

My pastor friends from India were willing to obey God’s call, no matter what. May we have the same kind of tenacious faith!

Randy Wollf is the Director of MinistryLift.