Don’t Postpone the Call of God
What is the call of God? The call of God is anything God asks us to do; it’s God’s will.
There are general calls for every person, such as the invitation to come to the Father through Jesus, talk to God in prayer, and discover God in His Word. There are calls to love people like Jesus loves us, be gentle, patient and kind, and live life according to God’s Word.
Then there are specific calls that can be different to each individual. God may have asked you to go somewhere in particular or do something specific in life or vocation. Father may call you to go to Bible school, lead a home group, get involved in youth ministry or children’s church, or give a certain amount of money to a specific cause. God might call you to stop something you have been doing for a while, or start something new.
The Call of God for your Life
Do you know what God has asked you to do in life? What is your commission? And are you postponing the call of God?
The word postpone means “to cause or arrange for something to take place at a later time than that first scheduled.” The first thing I notice is that when we postpone, there is an intention to do the thing which is asked or planned. Many people have the thought that they will do what God has said…but just not right now. There’s a thought of “I will do it…one day”. However, the longer we delay, the more likely we will disobey.
Why do we postpone what God asks us to do? Might I suggest that it’s because we don’t really trust Him. I’ve learnt that to know the Author is to trust the Author. God’s Word shows us that when God calls us, He enables us to fulfill that call. Therefore, I’ve learnt I can always trust Him!
God is a good God, He is a God of invitation, and He is always working for the good of those who love Him.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
The enemy tries to convince us that by postponing the call of God we are protecting ourselves from bad things. The truth is, when we delay obeying God’s will, we are keeping ourselves from God’s best. But we need to understand that obeying the call is not always easy.
God’s Will
There is a cost to following the will of God. And the call of God won’t always come at a convenient time. But I have a conviction that we cannot lose when we do God’s will at the time He asks us to do it.
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”
God’s will is sometimes contested through contradictions (like Joseph and the dream he shared with His brothers). But Joseph acknowledged that God had his hand in everything that happened, even after he went through betrayal and many trials.
Genesis 45:5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
God’s will is also often contested through disappointments. Job lost almost everything, yet he still acknowledges the Lord and praises Him in the midst of loss.
Job 1:21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
On your way to discovering God’s specific will for your life, commit to being faithful with God’s written will which is found in His Word. We have a call to be about our Father’s business: “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
The Lord speaks to us in the book of Jeremiah about His wonderful will for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). God’s will is always the best place for us. God will always bring His good work in us to completion. There comes a time when we must make God’s will and His call our first and greatest priority.
