Knowing God’s plan can be difficult. You need discernment when sorting through the possibilities of God’s call. One difficultly we face when exploring the call of God is understanding the terms involved. What is the difference between God’s call, our spiritual gifts, burdens, and being lead by the Lord?
In this podcast, we are going to talk about three things – spiritual gifts, burdens, and being led by God – that are often confused with the call of God. If we are not careful, this confusion could cause us to miss what God has for us.
Here is a list of Scriptures concerning spiritual gifts:
- Romans 12:6-8
- 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
- Ephesians 4:11-12
- 1 Peter 4:9-11
Spiritual gifts are not synonymous with a full-time call to ministry. Sometimes people can confuse their gifts with titles and God’s call. Spiritual gifts are meant to benefit/edify the body of Christ, but that does not mean we are called to the ministry that corresponds with that specific gift.
Next, we need discernment distinguishing between leadings and the call of God. The call of God is an inward conviction that leads to a lifetime of service.
There are three things that confirm the call of God:
- Through the Church
- Permanent call (Something you will do the rest of your life)
- Reflects God’s will and design
The leading of the Lord is God’s guidance in specific areas of your life. It could be an area of ministry you need to focus on or even a church where you should be serving. The leading of the Lord is temporary and relates to a specific period of time in, or a particular area of your life, while the call of God is the ministry He has ordained for your life.
Remember, even though God is leading you to different areas or places, the call of God in your life is not changed. Your calling is God’s vocation for you, while His leading is the what, when, where, and how He wants you to live out your life.
The final area of focus is discerning between burdens and God’s call on your life. Burdens are things that you are passionate about.
There are three things that define a burden:
- They are often temporary
- They may be shorter in duration than leadings
- They evoke passion
We often make the mistake of confusing our personal passions with God’s call. We even try to incorporate them into our public ministry. Remember, the only way to discover the differences between spiritual gifts, God’s leading, a burden, and the genuine call of God to full-time ministry is through prayer and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
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The Assembly of God holds an event called the “Fine Arts Festival.” Where students can use their gifts in many ways. One of the events that I participated in what the “Short Sermon Category.” God used me to minister to the crowd through this event. This is when I knew that God was calling me to the ministry to be a pastor. There are just some things that you just know; which God gives you a passion for. You can not run away or deny this feeling within you because it is God given. When God calls you, it is something that you can not underestimate. I thank God for listening to Him. Thank you Pastor Gene for this podcast.
You are right Tim. We cannot run away from God’s calling. When I was called to Bible College, God did not “speak to me.” Going to Bible school was only a feeling I had. I could not get away from the fact that Zion was the place to be for me. I felt peace in this decision. I had many doubts along the way, but God confirmed it as I went through Zion. God will honor your decision to follow Him. Keep going Tim. The best decision you will ever make is following God’s will.