Thursday, 15 January 2026

What is your calling...?

We had an interesting discussion about calling in small group recently. The question was posed in our small group last week: "What is God calling you to in 2026?" A good question. There were some good answers but also questions about the question. How do we know God is calling us to something? Is it a calling or something that we would like to do? Is it a question of language: calling, feeling, sensing, preference, desire? And what of calling in The Bible? There are specific ministry areas individuals were called to but only a few: "Paul called to be an apostle". But most calling references seem to refer to a "call to be holy" (1 Cor 1:1), a "call to belong" (Rom 1:6), "called to be saints" (Rom 1:7), "those He called he predestined" (Rom 8:30), "called in to fellowship" (1.Cor1:9), "the life to which you were called" (1 Tim.6:12). Called into something rather than to do something. Then of course we read of Jesus calling His disciples to follow Him. What are we to make of all this? It would seem in the New Testament that calling refers to being called by God to Himself and to the benefits this calling brings. There is little mention of the type of calling we sometimes refer to as "vocation" - a familiar term in the Roman Catholic Church. "Being called into the Priesthood". Surely vocation might also mean teacher, social worker, doctor, IT manager, entrepreneur, physical therapist? So what is your calling? Maybe first and foremost that God is calling you to Himself. And then to ask Him what is next...

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