3 Things to Do When You Doubt Your Calling

I had my first ministry experience when I was 18 years old. I was hired as a summer youth worker for a small Anglican church, and I believed the summer would be filled with blessings and ministerial success. I brimmed with faithful enthusiasm.

I arrived at the parish and began meeting with the youth, the parents, and the other leaders of the church. I advertised an opening event, a kind of kick-off celebration for the summer of miracles and majesty we were about to enjoy.

I spent time calling people, made personal invitations, posted pictures on the bulletin boards, and ran announcements in bulletins. I was convinced the event would be packed with people.

But then the evening came, and no one arrived. And when I say no one arrived, I mean it. Not one person came to the church that evening. After 90 minutes of staring at an empty parking lot, I left the church, went home, and wept.

Have you ever doubted God’s call for you? Have you ever dismissed the idea that God could possibly call you to a work, a ministry, or an action?

God’s calling to Moses gives us a wonderful example of God’s graciousness in inviting us to join in God’s work. In the call of Moses, we see three important truths about God’s calling in our lives.

1. God’s Call Is about Love, Not Success

God calls Moses into ministry out of loving concern for Israel. We can easily neglect this important truth. After all, we see Moses as one of the preeminent heroes of Scripture.

He is a man of great strength, resolute faith, and grand leadership. Yet, this is now how we first see him. When God calls Moses at Horeb, he is nothing more than an ordinary shepherd going about his ordinary day.

God calls to Moses, not because Moses was overflowing with leadership potential, but because God had concern over Israel’s plight. The cries of Israel in Egypt had reached God’s ears.

Thus, God says to Moses, “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering” (Exodus 3:7-8).

In this moment, standing before the burning bush, Moses is confronted with God’s loving heart for God’s people, and Moses is invited to share in that love.

It can be easy to believe that God’s call is reserved for the spiritual elite alone. We may fear that only the “special” people get called to serve the Lord. If we believe this, we may feel the need to prove ourselves competent and ready for ministry lest the Holy Spirit neglect us.

Yet Scripture reminds us that “to each of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). All of us are invited to participate in the sharing of God’s love for those in need. We might not see a burning bush erupt in front of us, but through the Holy Spirit, God empowers us to join in his redemptive work.

Ask yourself, where are you invited to participate in sharing God’s love?

2. God’s Call Is about Who God Is, Not about Who We Are

If you know the story of Moses, you know that Moses initially voices objections to his calling. In the face of God’s call, the first thing Moses says is, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11).

Later, he lists a litany of reasons for his inability to fulfill God’s call.  All that Moses can see is who he is not, and what he cannot do.

Interestingly, God doesn’t disagree with Moses! In response to Moses’ self-doubt, God doesn’t begin listing Moses’ good qualities or suggest that he is uniquely suited for this calling. God doesn’t “butter up” Moses by declaring he has the skills necessary for the task at hand.

God knows Moses’ weaknesses in speech and confidence. So, when Moses says, “This is who I am not,” God says, “This is who I am.” God responds to Moses’ doubt by promising to be with him. Moses then receives a profound revelation of God’s identity.

When you think about your own invitation into ministry, do you only see your own failings? Does your self-doubt stare at you, making you question whether God called you in the first place? What if you spent time focusing on who God is instead?

Our calling is not about who we are or what we can do; it is about who God is, and what God will do. Our calling occurs in the context of God’s Spirit working in us, and through us. The Lord affirms to Moses that Israel’s redemption is the Lord’s work.

God says, “I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land” (Exodus 3:8).

The work of salvation rests not on Moses’ shoulders, and neither does it lie on ours. The invitation to join in the work of God is rooted in our openness to the Lord’s leading, and the Lord’s power.

3. God’s Call Is an Exercise of Hope and Trust

As we have seen, Moses initially responds to his calling with fear and concern. Thus, in an act of grace, God offers Moses a sign of confirmation that he is truly sent by the Lord.

Yet this confirmation is different than we might expect. God says, “And this will be the sign to you that I have sent you when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship on this mountain” (Exodus 3:12).

Only after Moses accepts the calling, and begins to live within in, will the sign be revealed. Make no mistake, the confirmation of Moses’ calling occurs in the middle of the calling itself. 

Could it be that the confirmation of our call will occur only after we begin to walk as if it is true? It may seem backward to put the sign of confirmation in the middle of our ministry, but the point is that we are to act in faith. Participating in God’s redemptive work is always an exercise of trust.

Like Moses beginning the journey from Horeb to Egypt, we are called to walk in faith. We do so, trusting that God is faithful. Just as God had said, Moses does return to the mountain of God with the people of Israel.

Despite the ups and downs of the Promised Land journey, God’s presence sustained Moses and guided him. So, too, will God’s presence guide us, and his power sustain us.

Who might you be called to journey towards, to walk alongside in the love and power of God?  Is there anyone in your life where God wants you to present the life-giving message of God’s redemptive love?

What if, this day, God is saying to you, “I have seen the misery of ______, I have heard them crying out because of their situation, so now, I am sending you to _____.” If this is what God is saying to you, what is your first step?

It’s natural to doubt God’s call in our lives. But when you doubt your calling, remember that God’s calling is but an invitation to witness the extravagant power of God working in you, and through you.

Like Moses walking away from that mountain having accepted his calling, may you take a step in the direction that God is calling you, trusting that God’s presence will sustain you and empower you.

For further reading:

How Do I Know When God Is Calling Me to Wait?

Are all Believers Called to Ministry?

How to Know the Marks of a True Christian

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Ridofranz

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.