Surely God Isn’t Calling Me?
By Pat Rohach
From time to time, we at Christ Compels, invite some of our fellow ministers to join with us in writing devotions. Please welcome with me, Pat Rohach, Director of Women’s Ministries at NorthEast Christian Church in Lexington, KY. You will be blessed by her message!
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
In 1992 I was asked to be a Women’s Ministries Director for the first time. It was a very exciting prospect because God had been calling me into more involvements with women, and my response was “yes.” As the time approached to put the ministry into action, I realized that I was in no way equipped to do this sort of ministry. Why would God call me to something that I couldn’t do? The answer is simply because He has a plan for our lives, and His will is for us to do His work and walk in His will. Many times after that day I have remembered that God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips those He calls.
A call isn’t a formal and thunderous invitation; however, it is often times a nudging that “Hey, that would be great to have a group of people who love and care for each other in all the areas of life.” If the thought continues, it very well may be that God desires for you to be a point person for a life group.
It seems to be the same in every area of our lives. When God begins to prompt us to follow His plan for us, it may move us into a position of being a life group facilitator or to facilitate a Bible study group. Those are positions that are often referred to as leadership, and that word can have an overwhelming effect on our response. Group facilitators are not biblical scholars; they are ordinary people like you and me who God can use to create an atmosphere of community and learning. The life group opportunity is one of the most valuable for us as it provides an environment of friendship, caring, prayer, and growth that is vital to all believers.
There was a group started in women’s ministries one fall. This precious woman had come to me with the idea that she wanted to have a group in her home, and there would be some Bible study. We worked out all the arrangements, and she went on to start the study and had a great response. At our Christmas party for women’s ministries, she began to share what this group had meant to her. It seems that when she left the meeting with me that she was thinking she just couldn’t do this sort of “leading” and “teaching,” and what had she committed to today? The group had been meeting for about three months. With many tears and emotion, she shared that this was the most wonderful experience she had ever had and couldn’t believe that she had waited so long to respond to the nudging about facilitating a group. The relationships with the other women and the process of growing together had been invaluable to her and the other women.
There was another dear woman who experienced a study that changed her life so completely that it was literally transformational. Out of that work that God did in her heart, she wanted to share with many others what He had done and how He was always faithful. She began to facilitate a group. Now more lives are being transformed, and more spiritual growth is taking place.
If you are feeling a prompting or a nudging about being a part of a ministry, facilitating or leading, please spend time at the feet of Jesus to receive your direction. Then move forward with confidence that God is able to equip the most ordinary of us to walk in His will. He will make powerful changes in our lives and the lives of those in our life groups.
Pray with us: Father, we surrender ourselves to You today and ask that You will help us to unload all our previous limitations. We want to allow You to fill us with Your Spirit and lead us where You want us to be. Amen.