Called to...

Do you know your calling in life? Surely we all have one... right?

I remember some of my finer days as a pastor, believing I was right in the center of God's will for my life. Like, 'THIS' is what I was made to do! And maybe it was. Or maybe we're called to... something other.

Yesterday I read Matthew's biblical account of Jesus calling Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. They were apparently all fisherman by trade, and Jesus called them to be fishers of men.

In the church world it has often been understood that people are 'called' to be missionaries, pastors, and other ministry positions. And, if a church needs Sunday School teachers, you convince people God is calling them to that. The same with elders, deacons, nursery workers, etc.

Of course there have been countless cases of people giving up promising careers to serve in some of these ways. Many leave family and friends to that place God is leading them. I don't deny this, but I've also known pastors, missionaries and the like who weren't really following... Jesus.

Sometimes we have our own understanding of what it means to serve, and/or follow. It's possible we could even be following ourselves, or at least our own expectations and beliefs.

In N.T. Wright's 'Matthew for Everyone' he suggests... Jesus may or may not be calling us to a different occupation... but he IS calling us to follow him; his teachings, his ways... in how we live. Things like honesty, integrity, faith, hope and love.

Sometimes I think a different job might make it easier for me to follow Jesus ("his call"). That could be true in certain cases. Or, maybe it's not about occupation, and more about simply following him in whatever we're doing.

So the question is: whose call am I listening to?

***

Mathtew 4:18-23

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (also called Peter) and Andrew his brother. They were fisherman, and were casting nets into the sea.

'Follow me!' said Jesus. 'I'll make you fish for people!'

Straight away they abandoned their nets and followed him.

He went on further, and saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother. They were in the boat, mending their nets, with Zebedee their father. He called them. At once they left the boat, and their father, and followed him."

He went on through the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, healing every disease and every illness among the people."