Church Write-Up: Discerning God’s Call

At church last Sunday morning, the pastor preached about Paul’s call to go to Macedonia instead of Bithynia in Acts 16.

Paul was somehow prevented by the Spirit to go to Bithynia. The pastor speculated that Paul may have been praying and seeking God, and the Spirit guided him away from Bithynia. In the case of Macedonia, Paul had a vision to go there. The pastor said that we as humans like to be in charge, and Paul himself may have wanted to be in charge of where to preach the Gospel. But Paul ended up submitting to God.

How can we know God’s will? Many Christians do not have visions. The pastor said that, whether we become a veterinarian or a truck driver, we should glorify God in what we do. But other ways to discern God’s will may be to consult others, which the pastor admitted had limitations. We may want to join what God already is blessing rather than starting something new. Or, if we see a need that is not being met, we can start something ourselves. As examples, the pastor mentioned moms gathering together to pray for the preschool, or people volunteering to play cards with Intel employees who are far away from home.

Another helpful measure is our passions: what do we like doing? But passion needs to be supplemented with skills. Maybe the skills can catch up with the passions.