01 >> "I'm
seriously thinking about vocational Christian work, but
how can I be sure of God's will?"
This is probably the most common question believers ask. Any sincere, Spirit-filled Christian who wants to know the will of God concerning his life can know it, but this is typically a process, not a dramatic revelation.
There are two issues that swirl around this question of God's will. The first is how one looks for affirmation when they are sensing God's leading. Insight into this question can be found by reading through the Keith Davy letter, where he outlines the process by which we confirm God's direction: through alignment of circumstances; prayerful impressions by the Holy Spirit; the council of others; reflecting upon our deepest desires; analyzing the pros and cons of the decisions/options (wisdom); and through insight from the Scriptures.
The second issue is what exactly it means to be "called" or receive a "calling" from God to ministry. What seems to paralyze most people is that they are expecting an unusual or spectacular sign-perhaps a cloud formation rolling by with their name on it?
Here's a more helpful way to see things: If you read through the Scriptures, you'll notice that a person's coming to Christ is also referred to as a "calling" or being "called."
So how does God call us into a relationship? A variety of ways: sometimes the calling is more cognitive (the gospel just seems to make sense); sometimes we see a great need in our life and reckon that Jesus is the answer; sometimes it's an emotional experience; or the example of a Christian friend that convinces us the gospel is true. But make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is doing the calling; He simply uses a variety of microphones to get our attention.
Likewise, your calling to ministry can come through a variety of channels: you may logically conclude ministry to be a good stewardship of your life; you may be compelled by the great need of those who haven't heard the gospel; it might be your experience of God using you in ministry; or simply an intense desire to serve God. There's an assortment of means by which God calls us into the ministry, most of which are not in the category of the miraculous.
There's something else we should probably clarify about the idea of "calling." The call to be a vocational Christian worker is really no different from the call to be a doctor, a homemaker, or a ditch-digger (though I must say I don't know anyone personally who has felt called to the vocation ditch digging). Any vocation to which God directs you can glorify Him, and you should feel called and led to whatever your chosen occupation.
Being called primarily means being obedient to the ongoing direction of the Lord's leading in your life. God is calling every Christian to submit his whole life to Him and thereby bring glory to His name. "Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Finally, lest our "calling" become too subjective, the Scriptures affirm a community component of our calling. Meaning that those within the ministry to which you belong, should be able to affirm that God is indeed leading you into ministry. Others in the body of Christ should recognize your call.