Becoming The Face of God

PART II Discovering the Ways & Will of God The Call Within The CALL Be assured…we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. Colossians 1:9 (MSG Bible) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)   Introduction to Part II Early in my training to become an ordained clergy, I became a member of the United Black Clergy of Westchester and attended the monthly (or biweekly) Saturday morning breakfast meetings. We usually had a very impactful speaker who would discuss, among other things, the ministry calls and the church’s role in community engagement and activities that make life better for all people. For example, this included engagement in the educational system to ensure our children were given maximum opportunities to get a good education and encourage voting and learning about political candidates for office. I remember so clearly one Saturday morning, we were at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon and our speaker was Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, the then pastor of the famous, historic Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, New York. He spoke to our group about “The call within the CALL.” He shared with us that we each have a major CALL in our lives, but within that CALL, there can be different calls (paths). This idea of staying within the CALL but exploring the avenues of the call exploded in me with a sense of freedom in my spirit and has been one of the guiding lights to the transitions I have made in ministry, always making sure that I was in my CALL—to impact lives, especially with leaders for the Kingdom of God—but open to the various avenues God would use to fulfill this CALL. Sometimes God requires us to stay put in one aspect of ministry, or one place for the long haul and not quit. And in this context we should be open to learning , changing and growing as God gives us the grace for our unique area and season of ministry. But sometimes God wants us to transition within the CALL. Transition does not mean a lack of patience. It does not mean running away from something (although in a few instances it may be the thing to do—quit!). It means moving toward something. We cannot successfully transition and thrive unless we are flexible, trust God, and take risks on God (one definition of Faith). But how do we know what is the will of God for us when responding to transition challenges? Innumerable books and sermons have been written on attempting to explain how to think about the will of God. Perfect will. Permissive will. Conditional will. Sovereign will. Unconditional will. Intentional will. Circumstantial will. Ultimate will. Just to name a few ways in which these are described. I think there are some clear-cut values that are God’s will and those of us in the Judeo-Christian religion (or some other religion) do not have to be confused about the will of God in those circumstances. We know and scripture is usually clear on these values. However, many of us struggle with the will of God for us, not for the obvious, but more for the daily decisions, some of them life changing. Should I change my job/career? Should I move to another country/state? Should I marry this person? Should I go to college or go back to get another degree? The questions are endless. We can be paralyzed by indecision, sometimes feeling stuck because we would rather play it safe and be inflexible rather than taking a risk on God. While we can never fully know the mind of God, God invites us to ask for wisdom for the decisions we make. Scripture says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5, NLT) And Paul shared with the Colossian church that he prayed in this manner, “asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to His will and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.” (Colossians 1:9, MSG Bible) It’s an ongoing journey and challenge to understand the ways God works, but in most situations in our lives God can give us wise minds and spirits attuned to His will. God speaks to us in many ways over the course of a lifetime. Scripture is filled with some of the methods God uses. I have experienced some of the ways God helped me navigate the various challenges and transitions in my life. This is not meant to be a theological treatise but a deep reflection of the practical, spirit-led ways I used to help me make decisions. It’s a reflection of what it means to identify and discern God’s call in the various stages and situations of our journey. We often get stuck because we have predetermined beliefs about how God should act, not realizing that God’s will for our individual lives will not fit into a mold of “one size fits all” or a single formula. God uses different ways to help us discern God’s will. In reflecting on the Ways and Will of God, I discovered The God of Strategy; The God of Synchronicity; The God of Suddenly; and The God of Spirals. My hope is that as I share my experiences in finding God’s direction through my various ministry transitions, your journey will explode with possibilities and freedom as you may have to the contemplate and navigate your call within The CALL. It’s truly a journey of moving freely with God.