When God Calls You Further

If you are a Christian, you've probably heard a thousand times about doing God's will or listening for God's call. Many of us are perfectly content to believe that obeying God's will means going to church every Sunday and putting a check in the collection plate. However, for most of us, God has bigger plans, and when you hear His call, it may be to go further with your faith than you had ever dreamed.

A personal story

When I first began serving the Lord through teaching and writing 20 years ago, I never imagined my work would take me as far as Southeast Asia. Though I have been on mission trips before, my call seemed to be creating Bible study techniques to help others learn to spread the Word.

Recently, a pastor-evangelist from Southeast Asia contacted us through the Word Among Us Web site. He invited us to teach pastors, teachers, students and missionaries in his country how to study the Bible. Talk about hearing God's call!

The trip has taken our ministry in an exciting new direction. It has long been our hope to be able to expand our ministry beyond America's borders. God opened a door for us to teach some simple Bible study techniques to people in Southeast Asia who have limited access to study tools, reference resources, or specific instruction on how to study God's Word.

Never have we seen people so eager to learn. Some traveled for miles on foot and on bikes so they could bring back the message to their communities. We hope to return each year to teach in a Bible school that will be opened in June 2008.

Being called to minister yourself

Being called to minister doesn't necessarily mean that you need to go into the seminary. There are a number of ways that God may call you to help minister or spread His Word. It could be as simple as bringing a friend to church or helping out in a soup kitchen, or as great as traveling halfway across the world to become a missionary.

Of course, it may be that while you don't feel called to become a missionary, you do feel called to help those missionaries that you know. There are a couple of ways to do that:

1) Donate. "Donate" doesn't just mean financially, although there is no doubt that traveling missionaries will need quite a bit of financial help. They may need medical supplies or educational supplies that you could provide. They may need a donation of your time, where you could help with organizing things before they leave. A lot goes in to a mission trip, and speaking with those you know who are going can give you a better idea of how you can help.

2) Pray. Never underestimate the importance of prayer. You can pray not only for the missionaries, but the people in the areas they're visiting. Make a note to pray for them every day, or organize a prayer group for the missionaries in your church. Prayer support is invaluable for missionaries, and it costs only a few minutes of your time.

Whether you're called to go around the world or called to offer vital support those who do, don't reject God's will in your life. Listen to Him, and you may be surprised at where His call and your faith will lead you.

About the Author
Join Word Among Us and help them bring the Word to those who need it most. Visit gailknox.org to see pictures from their last trip to Southeast Asia, read about the people they ministered to, and find out how you can get involved.