Biblical Examples of God’s Calling and the Real Responses of Both Sides
Many of our blogs and resources are about helping you develop those you are discipling. But what about YOU? What happens when we (as disciplemakers) face challenge or opposition with those we’re discipling? Does God provide insight into how we should respond when we see our apprentice has a clear calling from Him, but he or she doesn’t see it? What if they’re fearful, anxious, or even bitter?
Last blog, we explored what God’s calling can look like on a person’s life. We ended with the question, “What happens when someone wants to say no or reject a calling?”
We believe that this is a timely question in this present age. It’s not easy to follow Jesus in all godliness and holiness, and it can be tempting to want to say no to the tasks to which He calls us.
After you’ve worked through last blog’s study on calling, we’d encourage you to take time to look at the stories of each of the characters below. With each character, consider:
- To what is God calling them, either by a direct call or through the circumstances He has placed them in?
- How do they respond?
- How does God respond?
- What is the result of their response?
- Is there a promise or a truth God gives? If so, how can you apply that same promise to your own life?
Moses:
When the initial call feels too hard
- Exodus 3:1-4:12
- Exodus 4:14
- Exodus 4:15-15:21; Deuteronomy 34
Elijah:
When living out our calling feels too overwhelming
- 1 Kings 18
- 1 Kings 19:1-10
- 1 Kings 19:11-21; 2 Kings 2:1-12; Matthew 17:1-13 (find other occurrences of his name in the New Testament to further consider his lasting reputation)
Michal:
When we let the bitterness of circumstances choke out our ability to live out our calling
- 1 Samuel 18:24-27; 19:11-14; 25:42-44; 2 Samuel 3:12-16
- 2 Samuel 6:12-16
- 2 Samuel 6:20-23
John Mark:
When we fail in following God’s calling
- Acts 12:5-12; 12:24-13:5
- Acts 15:37-38
- Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:11; Colossians 4:10; 1 Peter 5:13; Philemon 24; read the “Authorship” note in a study Bible about the book of Mark
Remember, walking with Jesus for life means obedience for the long-haul. Often, that means saying one big initial “yes” to Jesus’ calling, and then a lifetime of reaffirmations, of millions of little “yeses” every single day. We’d encourage you to close your study by reading Scripture that we’ve found encouraging in helping us through all those little “yeses.”
- Romans 5:1-5
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
- 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
- Galatians 6:9
- Ephesians 4:1-7
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12
- 2 Timothy 1:6-14
- Hebrews 12:1-3
- James 1:2-4
- 2 Peter 1:3-11
