Sometimes Christians make the word calling out to be something elevated, mystical and quite conclusive.

I imagine it comes from a desire to add some sort of spiritual certainty or stability to our lives. Fact is, the less certain we are, the more faith we need. Where do you think God really wants us; certain or faithful?

We must remember that the Holy Spirit uses practical reasoning just as much as he uses a sensation in our gut; what some exclusively label as calling. He also uses counsel from wise spiritual mentors and the guidance of His written word, the Holy Bible. They’re all part of the mix. We should consider them all collectively as our calling.

In a sense, all Christians are called to minister. As an electrician, I was a missionary to my fellow workers on the job site. However, I pretty much knew it was a short-term mission trip.

Sometimes the most clarity comes when we’re headed wrongly. We take a slight detour, and at that point, we know we’re off track.

When we finally think we’re on the calling path that God has laid out for us, we always want certainty; especially as we get older. Fears and insecurities raise their ugly heads and we think we’re off track again. In reality, we’re just insecure and afraid. Welcome to being human. Welcome to ministry.

A significant piece of calling that we often leave out is our decision. Simply deciding matters very much. Without the decision, we’re still allowing uncertainty to guide us more than God. We’re still floating in the sea of “what the hell am I supposed to do when I grow up?” We can live our life floating uncertainly or decide to dock the boat, and build on solid ground.

Deciding isn’t as restricting as some people make it out to be. My friend said it this way, “Build your own cage.” Many people are afraid of cages, but cages can protect. We can run around and have an absolute blast without the fear of being attacked from the outside. We can decorate, throw parties, hang some art on the walls, turn up the stereo, etc. It’s our cage for crying out loud. Not to mention we have the key. We can leave anytime we want. But, deciding to stay has its advantages; and maybe a little of that security were longing for too.

2 Thessalonians 1:11

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

When we want to know we’re called, the best we can do is to listen to all the ways God is speaking to us, and decide to faithfully build the cage He is leading us to build. Don’t forget to lock the door behind you.