Volume. XL, No. 2
Sunday, 13 July 2025
Someone asked me a question recently which prompted me to write this article. He queried sincerely, ‘How does one know if he is called of the Lord into the full time ministry?’ He was seeking the will of God at the cross-roads of his life. This is a profound question, yet a very necessary one, that we should ponder seriously. What are the important considerations of a definite calling from God? We shall discuss.
Firstly, a call is always intrinsic, in that it is evidenced itself as a deep internal spiritual burden. It is often not what a person sought after, but it is laid upon our hearts firmly by the Holy Spirit and it manifests itself as a crushing and heavy burden or deep conviction. It is very much an internal heart affair initially, as the soul struggles with God and reasons with heaven with fear and trembling.
This was my experience in 1987 with my calling after graduation. It is not uncommon that fear and a sense of inadequacy would overwhelm a person and some may even run away from it initially. Moses was so affected by the calling of God through the burning bush that he wanted to shrink from the heavenly duty and started giving excuses to God but he later relented when God encouraged Moses (Ex 4: 10-13). Jonah responded with disobedience and even tried to run away from God (Jon 1: 1-10) but later gave in to God after a serious ordeal. This brings us to our second point.
Secondly, a call from heaven is also effectual and persistent if it is truly a summon from heaven. God will surely pursue it to the very end. Samuel had a call from God when he was a young boy. He thought it was Eli and went to the high priest. Later he found out that it was actually God calling him and it came 3 times (1 Sam 3:1-21), not just once. Together with this, it must be emphasised that a true calling will stand the test of time and waiting patiently upon the Lord is necessary. Unlike a sudden emotional feeling or psychological sensation, an authentic call will last and will persevere over time even in the midst of difficult circumstances. It is not wrong to pray and seek the Lord and wait upon Him rather than to rush ahead of Him and later find, to our disappointment, that it is not the will of God. Do not make impulsive and hasty decisions and lived to regret it. Gideon wanted to make sure it was the Lord’s call and God honoured his sincere seeking with a miracle in the fleece (Jud 6:7-4) but note that this is not the norm in seeking God’s will.
Thirdly, it must be emphasised here that a calling is also external. What do I mean? By this, I mean that a genuine calling should be confirmed and affirmed by others as well, especially godly men who know you fairly well. David’s calling was confirmed by Samuel who anointed him as king and Paul’s was affirmed by Barnabas as the latter brought him to the Apostles (Acts 9:27). In our earlier example, Samuel consulted Eli and the latter indirectly affirmed his spiritual calling. This is a vital issue. It you feel you are called but your pastor, elder, deacon or God-fearing parents or godly brethren think otherwise, pray again and do not rush into things. If you are sincerely seeking the Lord, you will find His will in His sovereign good time.
There was a young, enthusiastic school leaving person who came to see me some time ago and said he felt called into the full-time ministry. I asked him to pray and wait upon the Lord and to go through the National Service training first before making a decision. He went through his National Service and later forgot everything about his so-called calling. Today, he is happily working in a
secular job and that is fine. The confirmation is important because God uses others to guide and direct us in the right direction.
I feel stressed about school work and demands made by my parents about achieving good results. What should I do?
A: Ephesians 4:1 speaks of the importance that we be good testimonies and witnesses to the glory of God in our vocation as a well-disciplined and hard-working student. Studying in Singapore can be demanding but being a good student is more than just getting good results. A good character and effective witness for Christ are equally important. To manage the stress you face, ask God for wisdom and strength and take steps to ensure your fruitfulness, by doing your part industriously. Consider doing the following below:
1. Pray and plan your work schedule throughout the year.
We need to learn to break or divide our time into manageable units e.g. timetable for the day, so that at a glance you know what you are supposed to do and be disciplined to accomplish it. Do not have a bad habit of a last minute rush to finish an assignment or study for a test the night before. Say no to time wasters like playing computer games on the handphone or laptop, watching too much TV or Youtube or social media and Chatrooms. We seldom do well if we do not plan and prioritize our lives properly. If you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it. Do also set aside time for leisure, rest, family, reading of the word, prayer (church prayer meeting), sports, fellowship with others and the daily Quiet Time, MYF or Tweens meetings [Editor’s note – fellowship groups] and Sabbath worship of the Lord.
2. Carry out your plan with discipline and hard work.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Pray constantly for God's help and wisdom to do your work. God honours the hardworking and industrious but the sluggard and lazy will have no reward or good results. Solomon in Proverbs 6:6-7 speaks of the industrious ant as our model. Learn to do things well with God's grace and personal discipline, without others supervising you all the time. Be responsible and stand up to the calling of being a good student for the Lord (Colossians 1:10). Honest heart work has its rewards. Redeem time by using it purposefully.
3. Remember the "DIN" and “FIT” Principles.
"DIN" stands for "Do It Now" or “Delay It Not” and "FIT" stands for "Finish It Too!” This is our advice to our students in Emmanuel Reformed Bible Lectures. Being forgetful people, we often delay what we are supposed to do. It is therefore a good practice to do our homework ahead of time during our best hours, all the time. Write it down in a diary or somewhere to remind us. Short notes are better than long memories. Do not delay completing your homework and revise for tests / exams ahead of time and do it a few times to remember well. This system will help you to complete your school work on time and thus be an effective student for the Lord (2 Timothy 2:15).
4. Discuss, Learn and Share with One Another.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory of God.” If you consistently do your part in your reading and revision, you will be able to contribute and discuss intelligently in class and out of class with others. You will be able to even help others in their school work and in so doing, you learn as well. You can be a channel of blessing to those around you by being a good testimony for the Lord (Hebrews 10:24, 25).
Conclusion
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Put God first in your life in all that you do. God has given us a sound mind also (2 Timothy 1:7) to serve and glorify Him and to study. Remember success in studies is often 1% intelligence and 99% diligence, 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Let your parents or siblings know what you plan to do so that they can remind you and ask them to pray for you. Do your part diligently and consistently and ask God to lead and guide you as you honour Him in your academic studies and spiritual walk of faith and do all things for His glory.
More Lively Hope
