Secular or Sacred Calling
A while back on a blog (http://blorge.blogspot.com), Blorge mentioned that one of the random thoughts that enter his head concerns his love for the French language and culture. He wonders if he likes it on its own merit or because of the au pairs he had as a kid or possibly because of a family friend who is French.
I have this dilemna also, but my desire has to do with the Middle East (that is Arabic speaking countries and Turkey). I wonder why I have this desire to go to these places and why I would be willing to go to places that would almost certainly guarantee my death (if I were to be authentically in-your-face about my Christianity).
I wonder if it has anything to do with my first cross-cultural experience being Turkish or if God has given me this desire for the Middle East because He wants to use me for something great in the predominantly Muslim world. They are (the last I heard) the largest unreached people group and they have the fewest number of missionaries (what is up with that?).
I don't want to be some sort of offensive missionary to Muslims. I want to authentically and respectfully live my life for Christ in the midst of diversity.
I wonder if my desire for the Middle East was effected by my lack of patriotism or if my lack of patriotism has fueled my desire to go to the Middle East. Would I be going to the Middle East to pursue God's calling on my life or to flee my current setting?
If I am drawn to a particular aspect of the culture such as building relationships over accomplishing tasks (which seems more Biblical) maybe my call is to help transform the Western Church and not flee from it.
I have this dilemna also, but my desire has to do with the Middle East (that is Arabic speaking countries and Turkey). I wonder why I have this desire to go to these places and why I would be willing to go to places that would almost certainly guarantee my death (if I were to be authentically in-your-face about my Christianity).
I wonder if it has anything to do with my first cross-cultural experience being Turkish or if God has given me this desire for the Middle East because He wants to use me for something great in the predominantly Muslim world. They are (the last I heard) the largest unreached people group and they have the fewest number of missionaries (what is up with that?).
I don't want to be some sort of offensive missionary to Muslims. I want to authentically and respectfully live my life for Christ in the midst of diversity.
I wonder if my desire for the Middle East was effected by my lack of patriotism or if my lack of patriotism has fueled my desire to go to the Middle East. Would I be going to the Middle East to pursue God's calling on my life or to flee my current setting?
If I am drawn to a particular aspect of the culture such as building relationships over accomplishing tasks (which seems more Biblical) maybe my call is to help transform the Western Church and not flee from it.
posted by Justin at 8/05/2005 09:10:00 AM
3 Comments:
Theophilus,
These are interesting questions that (as you said) I, too, deal with. I've come to the conclusion that God uses things in our lives to give us a desire for something and to shape our particular callings. God doesn't really seem to do much calling outside of our own context. There are NT examples where God calls people to be missionaries to foreign lands that they may have little by way of natural connection to, however they do have deep relationships.
As far as the idea of leaving to escape you circumstances, I think that the Bible makes it clear that you may be dissatisfied with your life but that is no reason to leave your responsibilities behind. Paul didn't council slaves to leave their masters.
Your discontentment may arise from the fact that your divine calling is to be elsewhere, but it may just be a human dissatisfaction with your life the way it is and that can't be changed by moving abroad because your problems will follow you wherever you go.
What is wrong with your current circumstances? Besides some friendly Jehova's stopping by :) It was very polite of you to think of their feelings about messy apartments.
One of the main reasons (problems with my current circumstances) I struggle with whether or not my desire is really a calling is my lack of relationships with Muslims in the neighborhood.
It is interesting that while recently struggling to figure out my dilemna that I met a Muslim man on the bus. He has offered to not only help me study Islam (he attended Qur'anic school in Africa) but also to find me a Somali wife when I am ready to get married.
How nice of him and possibly divinely arranged!
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