Answering God's call is a lot more than being called a Pastor, in fact, we'd be trivializing it if we've left it at that. It goes beyond the office of the Pastor. God's call goes beyond that picture; it encompasses a lot in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Answering God's call is service to God and to humanity and through service to humanity we serve God. Loving your neighbor as you love yourself, which can only be born out of love for God, through God and by God i.e. the love of God dwelling in you is what makes you love God and love humanity by God's love in you and your love for him. It starts out with understanding and realization that He loves us and gave Himself for us and then accepting Him into our lives, this is when His love come to dwell in us as He dwells in us, and we going about every day, manifesting our reality —that which is indwelling, we manifest God, we manifest His love, because He now dwells in us.
Sometimes we drift for many different reasons, this is the one of the periods of testing and trials and temptations, we sometimes fall or fail. It is a good thing to overcome during trials but then the real evil is not in falling/failing but in remaining fallen/failed. If you stumble or/an fall, don't stop keep moving; if you stumble, rearrange yourself and keep moving, if you fall, pick yourself up and keep moving — focusing on God. You have learnt something new, identify it and hold on to it. That is what they —trials and temptations, are there for, no to destroy us but to build us up. After every session in school, we are supposed to write tests and exams right? Being a child of God is more of God coming straight from our hearts and through our understanding rather that just going by the book (2 Co 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life).
It was impossible for Jesus or anyone else that might have volunteered to have died for man until He had felt what man felt, thought the thoughts of man, walked the path of men, stood where men stand, gone through what men go through; until He had become a man, understood what it meant to be a man. Which is why His death was potent enough to wash the sins of men, to give man redemption. He didn't just read about man or watched the ways of men, He became a man and felt what men felt, flesh and blood, had the needs that all men have, the fleshly urges, constantly felt tempted..... He understood what it meant to be man and the gravity and enormousness of His decision because He was a man.
As a Christian, whenever we are tempted or feel like we are going out of the way, it is always good to remember; what Jesus has sacrificed and done for us, our place in God, the things we have left behind and why we have, the Love that God has for us. When we remember we will be able to understand and attach the value of it and then we'll remember our resolution and reasons. I hope yours' is the right reason(s) for that is when it will be truly able to help you refocus on God.
Answering and accepting the calling is what we should all do. God calls us to come to Him and be saved. The moment you answer and accept God's calling and accept the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and savior we are supposed to from then on take the fullness of His calling, to follow the path and duty we have been given. Resisting or not doing so is disobeying God, which is a sin. From that point on we are to walk in righteousness, love, and obedience to God.
What it entails
Obedience: (study God's word to know what we are supposed to do and what not to do and to follow it in humility and submission.
Love: Love God, love our neighbors which includes everyone we meet and come across, and also to love and pray for those who think they are our enemies.
Righteousness: following the above two is righteousness.
What to do
We have a duty of love to one another, to everyone around us, everyone we meet and come across, irrespective of race, social status, or capacity (part of which is sharing the good news, the gospel of Christ, of life, or hope, and love). We are to do justly and love mercy (Micah 6:8). We are to show and emanate God's love, let it reach others and tough them through our words and actions, privately and publicly. Help those who are in need.
We might see it as hard, but then it is when we let go of distractions, stop focusing on the world and the things of this world rather focus on Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith, our perfect example, our role model, our pillar, the rock upon who we stand rooted. We are to live after Him and His righteousness dwells is us and covers us.
The devil will always bring alternatives and close substitutes to distract us (which is why we have so much diversity in the doctrines of Christianity), but when we focus on Jesus, we see only the truth, so we follow it way, guided by the Light. If you busy yourself looking for by—passes or loop—holes in Christianity, then the devil will always be there to give you just that. If you are looking for a comfortable angle to be a Christian in your carnality, rather than focusing on Jesus and flowing through with spirituality then you are not ready yet and certainly not a Christian. What is the definition of "Christian"? It means Christ-like, not just acting like Christ but becoming like Christ, body, soul, and spirit. Do not let the things of this world take you away from the love of Christ, but be continually renewed by the renewing of your mind in fellowship with Jesus.
Have you answered and accepted God's calling? I have and I am happy and confident, not proud (for pride is a bad thing, the devil's substitute for confidence) in my decision and in God.
Thank you and stay blessed.
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