Called
Wrestling With Our Calling
Every Christian—whether a pastor, artist, parent, student, or laborer—comes face to face with the tension of calling. We sense that God has placed something within us: a burden, a direction, a holy desire. And yet, the very thing God summons us to do is often the thing that intimidates us the most. Scripture is filled with people who wrestled with what God asked of them. That tension isn’t a mark of immaturity—it’s a sign that the God who calls us is drawing us into deeper dependence on Him.
When the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses didn’t leap at the opportunity. He questioned his own identity: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11, ESV). Moses wasn’t faithless; he was human. God’s response is the anchor for anyone struggling with their calling: “But I will be with you” (v. 12). The calling of God is not built on our confidence but on His presence.
We see this echoed in Jeremiah’s fearful protest: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” (Jeremiah 1:6, ESV). The Lord doesn’t deny Jeremiah’s weakness—He meets it with promise: “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” (v. 8). God does not choose us because we are strong; He chooses us to show that His strength is sufficient.
The conflict we feel when God calls us is real. Some days we feel ready. Other days we feel undone. Our calling confronts our fear, our excuses, our limitations, and our doubts. But it is in this very place that grace trains us to lean not on ourselves.
John Wesley once wrote, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell.” For Wesley, calling was not about title—it was about surrender. To wrestle with calling is often to wrestle with our idols: the idol of comfort, the idol of reputation, the idol of control. Wesley’s point is simple: God does not need our résumé; He wants our willingness.
John Calvin speaks directly into this same struggle but from another angle. He writes, “God works in His servants in wonderful ways; He does not bestow grace on them for the sake of their own private advantage, but in order that they may contribute to the common good.” Our calling is never just about us. It is always for the sake of others—for the strengthening of the church, for the healing of the world, for the glory of Christ.
And yet the path is rarely smooth. There are seasons when our calling seems to stall or fracture. There are moments we pray, “Lord, surely You meant someone else.” Inside this struggle, Paul’s words become a lifeline: “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7, ESV). The fragility we feel is not a flaw—it is part of the design. God delights in working through clay jars so that the world sees Him and not us.
Perhaps the greatest wrestling match comes when we fear stepping out. We worry we will fail. We worry we will disappoint God. But Scripture cuts through the fog: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29, ESV). God does not change His mind about the calling He has placed on your life. Even in seasons of confusion, doubt, or delay, His faithfulness holds firm.
So what do we do with the holy tension? We do what Jacob did—we cling. We present our fear, our weakness, our questions, and our inadequacy honestly before God. We confess our reluctance. We ask for courage. We learn to pray again the prayer of Jesus: “Not my will, but yours, be done.”
The call of God is not something we master. It is something we grow into. It unfolds over years. It humbles us, shapes us, and sanctifies us. Our calling draws us deeper into the life of Christ—the One who was sent, who obeyed, who suffered, who served, and who now calls us to follow.
Calvin reminds us that God equips those He appoints: “When God appoints anyone to an office, He at the same time furnishes them with the necessary gifts.” And Wesley echoes this hope, insisting that God’s grace in us is never empty: “He who has guided you until now will guide you all your days.”
To wrestle with your calling, then, is not to run from it—but to be held by the God who walks with you into it.
May we be a people who answer with trembling obedience, fierce trust, and humble confidence—not in ourselves, but in the One who calls.
I really love this!!!!!