Don’t Let God’s Call Go to Voicemail

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.  ~Ephesians 3:20-21

God has not called me to be successful.  He called me to be faithful. ~Mother Teresa

Did you ever get a call from a number you recognized, but you let it go to voicemail just because you didn’t feel like answering?  After all, if they really needed you they could leave a message, right?  You might have been too busy or too tired.  You might have been distracted.  Perhaps you were focused on something “more important.”  Maybe you knew they were going to ask you to do something you didn’t want to do, or go someplace you didn’t want to go.  Maybe the call would get in the way of what you were doing right then, or pull you too far out of your comfort zone.   It could have been that the call was from someone who called you everyday, and you just weren’t in the mood to talk to them again. 

Although there are times when it’s appropriate to let a call go to voicemail (at work, with friends, in a movie theater, etc.), there are times when our reasons are completely selfish.  If we let a call go to voicemail, we can listen to the message when we’re ready.  We can choose a time that is more convenient for us—a time that doesn’t interfere with what we’re doing.  The problem with doing that is, we might miss out on a great opportunity.  Or we might be slow in responding to someone who really needed us right away.  We might even forget to listen to the message.

Have you ever received a call from God that you let go to “voicemail”?  I have.  There have been times when God called me to do something and I chose not to answer right away.  The task may have seemed too big for me to handle. Maybe it was something I didn’t want to do because it was outside my comfort zone—I’m not always brave about doing something new.  Perhaps it just sounded like hard work.  Maybe I wanted to answer but didn’t think I was ready.  

Scripture tells us that through His mighty power at work within us, God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  But we need to answer His call in order for Him to work in us and through us.  He needs us to be faithful and obedient.

God doesn’t just leave one message and give up.  No, He keeps calling until we answer.   It took years for me to answer and begin to live in to my calling as a writer.   What if I had answered the first time God called me to write?  What if we all answered the first time God called?

Let’s not let God’s calls go to voicemail.

Be blessed!