Another significant issue with respect to vocation and the future of the church is our response to other servants of God who seem to hold different positions and sometimes conflict with what you think. First, to be called by God doesn’t mean that your thinking or actions are above reproach. There were plenty of biblical figures who were both called by God and also acted in ways contrary to that call. We and others can all sincerely be called by God but act in ways that are contrary to that call. Abraham was willing to allow his wife to be violated by the Pharaoh even though he was called by God. Peter denied Jesus three times even though he was called to be Jesus’ disciple. To be called doesn’t mean you are not in need of correction or reproof. Yet, if a person who disagrees with you is also called by God, how does that affect how you relate to that person.
Begin by identifying a person who frequently holds opinions and positions contrary to yours. Now, write a brief paragraph about how God can speak to you through that person. It doesn’t mean that the other person is right but that God can speak through that other person to stimulate your own growth and you can do that for the other person.
If you are called by God, and God doesn’t abandon those whom God has called, notice how that affects your decisions with respect to your own future and the future of the church you serve. The next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed by the challenge before you, ask yourself how God can speak you through that experience.
