Am I Called? (Part 1)

Is God “calling” you to be a missionary? How can you know? Simple. Just find an old Magic 8 Ball and give it a shake to find your answer. Kidding! Seriously, please don’t do that.

Questions about calling may be among the most common missionaries are asked. And the Scriptures provide us with helpful examples that can bring clarity and direction for anyone considering this question.

The obvious implication of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) is that every follower of Jesus is “called” to the work of the gospel. While we might readily say every Christian is, therefore, a missionary, the Scriptures do make a distinction. There are those that God particularly sets apart for the work of the gospel. One might say there’s a difference between a missionary and a Missionary.

In the remainder of this article, we'll explore how the New Testament (NT) uses the word "calling." In Part Two, we'll examine practical ways the Scriptures give us to identify if God is calling someone into missionary service.

The NT speaks often about the call of God, but perhaps not in the ways you might think.

In most cases, the calling of God refers to an invitation, a summoning to complete salvation that brings us into a relationship with our Creator God. Acts 2:39 tells us the “promise is for… as many as the Lord… will call to Himself.” Second Thessalonians 2:13-14 teaches we are “called” for salvation through the gospel. We’re “called as saints” in Romans 1:7. We’re called to “eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12). And Peter tells us we are called “to His eternal glory in Christ…” (1 Pet. 5:10).

Along with this call unto salvation is a call to sanctification, “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:17). And then there’s the call to suffering, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).

As we consider our calling, it’s important to recognize that we’re called first to God himself. This call of God is an invitation to know God and to follow Him. But what about the call to missionary service? While this may not be the common language used in God’s Word, it certainly doesn’t mean God doesn’t call missionaries. And in Part Two, we’ll discover both a biblical and practical understanding of how God calls missionaries to the ministry of the gospel.