How Do I Know I Have a Spiritual Calling?

Discerning your individual spiritual call is a struggle. You may yearn for a clear, concise road map that will guide you to your life’s mission, but callings are rarely so clearly outlined. Think about it! What you are really wanting when discerning God’s call is a magic letter in your email inbox. The magic email would outline the date you needed to report to duty, the supplies needed, and concise guidance on how to best pursue your calling. The email may even include a basic orientation on how to navigate the uncertainties and fears associated with your calling.  

Unfortunately, your spiritual calling does not come as a magic letter. In fact, if you were to do an exhaustive search of the Bible, no person is called to spiritual service in the same way. There is a reason for this ambiguity, and it rests in that God honors you as a person. If you read even just a few stories about biblical characters and their calling; you would see God considers the circumstances of their life, personality, life roles, status, and a myriad of other factors.

God takes “you” into account when extending your spiritual call. While you won’t be able to predict the methods, message, and means of your calling; the process of your spiritual call is much more predictable. One of the best biblical narratives to see this pattern is in the calling of Samuel as Israel’s high priest.

Title: Tremont and Middle Prong 055, Author: Gary Millar, Source: Flickr is licensed by CC BY 2.0

The Story of Samuel's Spiritual Call:

The story of Samuel’s spiritual call can be found in 1 Samuel, Chapters 1-3. Samuel’s birth and calling begins in the time of the judges. During this time, Israel had no central leadership, and the nation was lead in small tribes and sub-groups. This led to a lot of corruption in the kingdom. Even Eli and his sons, the highest levels of Israel’s temple leadership, were not immune to elicit sexuality and violation of God’s covenants.

During this time of political, social, and religious corruption, a woman named Hannah came to the temple regularly to pray. Hannah could not have children, and in tears, begged God for a child. If God answered her request; Hannah promised to give her child in service to God. God answered Hannah’s prayer and Samuel was born and given to the chief priest, Eli, to raise.

Samuel’s spiritual calling occurred while he was living in the temple under the care of Eli. One night, while Samuel was attempting to fall asleep, God audibly called Samuel’s name. Samuel thinking it was Eli went to Eli’s bedroom and stated, “Here am I, you called me?” Eli tells Samuel he did not call him and tells the child to go lay back down. This order of events continues to happen three more times, each time Samuel responding to the call, but failing to recognize it was God’s voice.

Finally, Eli realizes it is God who is calling Samuel and tells Samuel, “Go and lie down and if God calls your name again, tell God you are listening.” When the fourth call came from God, Samuel responded as Eli instructed. 

Once Samuel responded to God’s voice and call; God provided the details about Samuel’s calling. He informed Samuel that God would remove Eli's sons from leadership in the temple because of their corrupt ways, and Samuel would become the new temple high priest.

Samuel wasn’t looking forward to sharing this vision with Eli, as it predicted the end of his leadership and foreshadowed the death of Eli’s two sons. Samuel was, in fact, terrified to tell Eli the vision. Despite his fear, at the prompting of Eli, Samuel shared the vision. While Samuel was clearly called by God, the vision did not occur immediately. Samuel continued his temple training under Eli, but as predicted in the vision, Eli’s sons died, and Samuel became the high priest at the temple in Israel.

Discerning Events & Circumstances of Your Spiritual Call:

While you may not hear an audible voice in the night or experience a vision of your spiritual call, there are certain events and circumstances that speak to the surrounding needs. Samuel was born during a time of political and religious corruption in Israel. The lack of a centralized government resulted in an ample opportunity for dishonesty, fraud, and corruption throughout the land. It was time for a regime change and Samuel was going to lead it.

As you can see, spiritual calls do not occur in a vacuum. Societal, community, family, and individual life events and circumstances you experience may show your spiritual calling. Just as Samuel’s calling was a response to the venality of his time, your calling will respond to the unique needs of your community and world.

To discern events and circumstances you need to ask yourself questions like, “What needs do I continually see in the world around me?”, “Where do I feel drawn to serve with my talents, gifts, and abilities?”, and “In what ways can I serve and meet this need?” The needs you see around you that continually come to mind, and, in fact, may trouble you, may be the very circumstances and events showing that you have a calling. A calling to help provide relief and remedy.

Discerning Your Spiritual Call Through Repetition:

Have you ever had a nagging feeling that won't go away? Maybe you have experienced that gut instinct that continually visits your daydreams and thoughts, although you try to push it away and not think about it. This may indicate a spiritual calling.

The story of Samuel’s calling provides a beautiful analogy for the calling process in your own life. The bottom line is that you aren’t likely to recognize your spiritual calling the first time you experience it. For most people, they need to experience their calling in different ways through varying experiences before they fully understand what they are called to. Don’t worry, you are in good company. Samuel wasn't called twice or three times...but four times before he finally realized it was a spiritual calling. Remember, God works through your circumstances and personality to make you aware of your call. It may take multiple experiences and circumstances before you finally see your full calling, and that is okay! Repetition seems to be one of God’s tools in getting your attention, and it is important to look for those patterns to guide you.

You never need to worry about missing a true spiritual calling, because it will keep returning to you in new manifestations and ways.

Repetition is how you will discern between a whim and an actual spiritual calling. Whims can be great ideals and may meet a need; however, whims do not have staying power in the process of a spiritual calling. Whims are more impulsive and fleeting. You may see a problem or a need for a day or two and think of potential solutions and ways you could provide relief. However, soon you simply forget about the problem or move onto other whims or ideals. A true calling will stick with you and will repeatedly visit you, not with fleeting impulse, but with a long-term conviction.  A conviction that revisits you until you have stepped into the fulfillment of your call.

You never need to worry about missing a true spiritual calling, because it will keep returning to you in new manifestations. A true spiritual calling can never be missed; but an opportunity to live in your calling can be. You will miss opportunities for your calling to manifest; however, another opportunity will eventually replace it until you step into your call. God called Samuel four times before he got the message.

Remember, God wants you to serve and be fulfilled through the completion of your calling. God isn’t bothered by the first or second time you miss the message; Spirit will continually send your calling in new and intriguing ways until you respond. You can’t miss your calling; it will always repeatedly manifest in new ways and opportunities. Repetition is a sign of God’s calling and his grace to each of us.

Opening Your Heart to Your Spiritual Call:

This story of Samuel has a unique caveat in verse 8. During God's third attempt at calling Samuel, the passage notes that Samuel "did not yet know the Lord" (Samuel 3:8, NIV). It goes on further to say, "the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him". This is an interesting and unique juxtaposition, as Samuel was called before he even had knowledge of God. This is important, as it shows that your spiritual calling is present even before you realize it exists.

While all humanity shares a general call to creation, community, and care; your specific contribution is discovered in a step-by-step process of revelation. Samuel doesn't know how to respond until Eli gives him instructions. Eli tells Samuel to lie down and when he hears the call of God, he is to state, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9, NIV).

There is a subtle nuance in the story when Eli tells Samuel to “lie down. Lying down shows an act of submission, a heart of obedience. Samuel, who until now has been unaware of God, now must encounter God in submission. By stating “your servant is listening,” Samuel shows an open heart to God’s message.

Like Samuel, you can live in unawareness about your personal spiritual call unless you open your heart. To recognize your spiritual calling, you must first be open to it. Being open to a spiritual calling can leave you with feelings of vulnerability and insecurity. You are completely unsure of what God may ask of you. This sense of vulnerability requires an expression of trust, knowing that God has your best interest at heart and desires you to live a life of fulfillment. In this state of trust, you open your heart and learn to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening (1 Samuel 3:10, NIV)

When you open your heart to your spiritual call; you will listen to God at a deeper level. Circumstances, events, and opportunities to serve will reveal themselves to you in new ways. You may also experience an all-consuming drawing of your heart to pursue a particular path of training, vocation, or act of service. Through listening and observing, you will see patterns of repetition in your calling. 

Fear and Your Spiritual Call:

Once God calls Samuel, his first emotion isn’t excitement, exhilaration, or even boundless joy. His first emotion is fear! Most, if not all, spiritual callings result in some level of fear.

Spiritual callings demand change, and change is scary. Your calling may require personal, career, and lifestyle changes. It may force you into new training opportunities, relationships, and social settings. Fear is the price of admission to experience new and exciting events as a part of your call.

When responding to God’s call, one of the most important things for you to do is reframe your fear as excitement (Linehan, 2015). Fear and excitement are opposite sides of the same coin. Think about going on a roller coaster. The first time you watch the cars maneuver upside down and race around corners at breakneck speeds, you become excited about your opportunity to ride the roller coaster. After this initial exhilaration you experience an inner voice of fear asking, “Can I handle this ride?”, “What if the cars jump the track?” These are only passing thoughts, but you somehow allow your excitement to supersede your fears and you eventually get in the front car and enjoy the ride of your life. 

Spiritual callings demand change, and change is scary. Fear is the price of admission to experience new and exciting change as a part of our calling.

Responding to God’s calling is the same as riding a roller coaster. You are initially excited about the immense opportunity to serve, but you begin with the fear based, “What ifs”. Some examples include, “What if I am making a mistake and I am not actually called?”, “What if I don’t make enough money when I pursue this calling?”, and “What if nobody takes me seriously and others doubt my call?” The “what ifs” are a normal fear response within the process of your spiritual calling. 

Instead of playing the “what if” game; change your fear to excitement. For example, you might reframe your fear by saying, “I am excited to explore this opportunity to learn more about my spiritual calling?” or “Won’t it be exhilarating to learn how to finance this opportunity to serve?” Notice when you reframe your fear as excitement, it changes the whole energetic flow of how you approach your calling.

There is another thing to remember when you experience fear during your spiritual call. Just as the roller coaster cars are firmly attached to the track; God has you safely and securely held. While there will be new problems to be solved, situations to navigate, and challenges to overcome, God has you squarely in the palm of his hand. The Spirit will guide you! Just as the roller coaster track keeps you securely on the track, so will Spirit guide you and keep you firmly grounded as you pursue your spiritual calling.

Training, Favor, and Your Spiritual Call:

Samuel did not become the chief priest of Israel instantaneously following his encounter with God. Biblical scholars estimate Samuel was the age of 12 during his initial calling. The Bible doesn’t provide a lot of information about Samuel’s formative years. What is clear is Samuel continued his duties and training under the watchful eye of Eli while serving in the temple.

Just like Samuel, after you receive your initial spiritual call; there may be a period of waiting and preparation to fulfill your call. It may take the form of education, training, or mentoring. Often, God’s first mission after your spiritual calling is to equip you. This is a time to be patient and dedicate yourself to the opportunities God has given you to perfect your talents, skills, and abilities for service. If you remain faithful and patient during your preparation; you may find God provides you with glimpses into your future through current opportunities of service. Remember, God’s calling uses repetition, and the repeated form of your call will manifest in new ways as you mature and grow.  

As you dedicate yourself to training, education, and mentorship in your new spiritual calling, you find God provides you with favor. In Samuel 1: 19 (NIV) it notes that “the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.” Just like Samuel, when you dedicate yourself to the training required for your calling; God’s favor is with you. You will also find there are new opportunities and people that show up to aid your call.

Conclusion:

The Bible provides no one framework for spiritual calling. Instead, God designs every individual’s spiritual call in the context of their life circumstances, social roles, experiences, and even individual personality. Rather than looking for an exact framework, a more dependable indicator in discernment is looking at the process of your call.

Through the story of Samuel, a process of spiritual calling is envisioned. First, God uses circumstances and life events to inform your calling. Second, repetition is used frequently in spiritual callings. Your spiritual calling is not a onetime event. God will provide you with ample opportunities to live out your call throughout your life. Repetition is an indicator that a spiritual calling is authentic, valid, and reflects God’s grace.

The process of spiritual calling also involves opening your heart to God’s call and becoming active listeners of the Spirit’s guidance. While responding to your spiritual call is exciting; there is also the presence of fear. If you are not careful, fear may enable the “what ifs” to impede pursuing your calling. Instead, it is important to reframe your fear as excitement and learn to trust God will not guide you where Spirit cannot keep you.

Finally, the process of your spiritual calling involves a time of training, education, and mentoring. As you pursue your calling, you may find that God provides favor to you through new opportunities to serve and relationships with others that will help aid you in accomplishing your call.

By: Heath B. Walters, Ph.D.

Copyright: November 22nd, 2022, by Heath B. Walters DBA Spiritual Life Resources, All Rights Reserved.

Reference

Linehan, M.M. (2014). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd Ed). The Guildford Press: New York

Zondervan NIV Study Bible(K. L. Barker, Ed.; Full rev. ed.). (2002). Zondervan.