Your call to serve

Thanks Nat for the link... The Salvation Army - Australian Southern Territory.



http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/SALV/STANDARD/PC_62700.html


Mark 1:16-18

Jesus saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” They didn't ask questions - they dropped their nets and followed

How do we discover our vocation, our calling? How do we hear the call?

Sometimes it’s an unmistakable word from the Holy Spirit, maybe even a voice—the still, small voice of God, telling us what to do. But that’s not very common. In fact, it’s rare.

God speaks to us in a number of ways.

God speaks to us through His word
God speaks first and foremost through the truths set out in the Bible. There, as we read of the call of mission, service and discipleship, the Holy spirit may give special illumination to a passage or a verse. As we read we should pray, asking the Lord what it is He particularly wants of us.

God speaks to us through His people
The ‘call’ may come as a direct challenge from a brother or sister in Christ in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It may come as an expectation that arises within a number of people … our family, our small group, our congregation. We should listen for His word.

God speaks to us through our circumstances and our character
We may be in a particular place at a particular time, and suddenly we know that it was ‘for such a time as this’ that God brought us to that place and to that moment. In this instant, we may realise that becoming an officer is the most obvious and logical thing to do.

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our convictions and our passions. He arouses a sense of mission within us, and the desire to respond.

William Booth said, ‘the need is the call.’

As a young man, Albert Orsborn worked at The Salvation Army’s headquarters in London. One day on his way to work, he watched as the crowds rushed out of the train as it pulled in to the station.

Some went up into the daylight of the street, whilst others went down into the darkness of the subway tunnel.

He saw this as a strikingly clear metaphor for eternity. In that moment, he also knew that he had to become an officer and make a covenant to give his life for the salvation of mankind.





I particularly like the fact that Bible verses highlight

1 - Regular (ordinary) people

2 - Doing regular job / employment

3 - Followed with no questions asked.


Well I suppose I fit into category 1 - very ordinary.
I used to fit into category 2.
It takes a lot to move to category 3....