A week ago, 36,000+ people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium for North American Youth Congress (NAYC). If you aren’t familiar with this event, it is a conference put together by the Youth Ministries department of the United Pentecostal Church International, geared towards teens and young adults--though everyone is welcome! Due to the massive amount of work required to make an event like this possible, it only happens every other year, but each NAYC always leaves an indelible impact on those that attend.
This was my seventh NAYC to attend, and while the 2015 NAYC had previously been top-tier in my heart because of how it impacted both me and my husband personally (though we weren’t yet a couple at the time!), this year has now surpassed 2015 as the best NAYC to date, in my opinion.
The theme this year was “Called”, and from beginning to end, there was a strong emphasis on answering the call of God, evangelism (sharing the Gospel with the world), and salvation. By the end of Friday night, we saw 1,087 people filled with the Holy Ghost and 375 people baptized in the only saving name of Jesus! It was absolutely unprecedented when it comes to the history of this event, and I am still basking in the glory and power of God we witnessed in that stadium!
The theme of “Called” deeply resonated with me personally, and it has stuck in my mind in the days since the conference ended. I am a firm believer that we, as Christians, ALL have a calling of some sort that we are meant to fulfill in the kingdom of God. For people like my husband and my father, that call is a call to preach. For people like the worship leaders at NAYC last week, their call is to make music unto God and lead others in worship of Him. For myself, I feel writing is one of the callings God has given me.
But a calling doesn’t always equal a public “platform” or “position”. You can also be called to be a door greeter, to make meals for families in need, to be a nursery worker so weary mommas can be in service--the list goes on and on! And no matter your role in the Kingdom of God, it is ALL important. It ALL has a special purpose, and these callings should not be ignored.
But regardless of what specific role in the body of Christ He has called us to, we are also ALL called to fulfill the Great Commission.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
~ Matthew 28:16-20
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
~ Mark 16:15
It is this universal calling that has weighed heavy on my heart, especially in the past year or so. This is a call I know I need to fulfill, and I know my husband is called to preach, so I, of course, want to be at his side, supporting him in his mission to preach the Gospel. But the call to witness to and disciple others is… daunting. Especially for someone like me.
I must confess I have often struggled with anxiety over social situations, particularly with those I don’t know. It has taken me years and a lot of help from the Lord to get as comfortable as I have with speaking in front of others or talking to strangers. He has pushed me outside my comfort zone on numerous occasions to help me overcome this, placing me in roles in my local church or elsewhere that force me to "get comfortable being uncomfortable". But even now, at nearly twenty-eight years old, I still get very nervous, fearful, and uncomfortable about certain situations.
My husband has had the burden to teach Bible studies for a while now, and I desired to do it too. But because of all that I mentioned above, it has felt very daunting to me. I was so afraid that I couldn’t do it. I have long feared that, when witnessing to someone or trying to teach a Bible study, they would either have questions I cannot answer or ask questions that I know the answer to, but I would freeze up and not be able to provide the answer in a clear, intelligible way. In either case, I feared looking foolish or like I don’t actually know what it is I believe or how to explain it to someone. I don’t want to be a bad witness or not be able to back up my beliefs with the Bible.
This fear has crippled me for years of my life, and it still lurked in the back of my mind when my husband and I made the decision to start a weekly “Exploring God’s Word” Bible study this spring. I was so nervous that first night, and not sure what to expect or how it would go.
But you know what happened?
God showed me that His word is hidden in my heart, and that the Spirit is truly able to give us guidance and wisdom when we need it. Because as we have taught each lesson these past several months, He has quickened to my remembrance different scriptures, personal testimonies, Bible history, things I’ve heard preached, etc. to share alongside the lesson. And most importantly, He has given my husband and I all the answers we need to respond to the questions of those in our group.
Please know I do not share all this to pat myself on the back. I share it to encourage someone reading this!
Maybe you are like me, naturally introverted and shy and intimidated by the idea of witnessing to or discipling others. Maybe you feel led to teach Sunday school or a Bible study, but you don’t think you can do it. If that is you, I want to encourage you to answer the call in spite of your fears and insecurities!
When God calls you to do something, you don’t have to feel qualified or ready to get started. You just have to DO IT. He has proven to me that when we act in obedience, He will always equip us to fulfill our calling.
When you step out and do what God is calling you to do, you may even be surprised to realize that you already have all the tools you need at your disposal. You may know more about the Word than you think, or be better prepared for the work He’s asked you to do than you believe. God can and will give you the strength to take out all of the tools you have collected through the Spirit, your time spent living for Him, reading His word, and hearing countless lessons and sermons, and then put it all into action.
Will we always be perfect when we live out the calling God has given us? No, we won’t, because we are still human. Still naturally flawed. But even if we stumble and fumble along the way, that is OK! God isn’t expecting us to be perfect and never make a mistake. He only wants our obedience! At the end of the day, all we can do is give Him our best effort and trust Him to do the rest. To water the seeds we are planting through our imperfect efforts, and bring them to fruition in the hearts of those we minister to, in His time.
Whatever God is calling you to do, don’t be afraid to answer the call. You may not feel ready, qualified, prepared, worthy, etc. But as the saying goes… He does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called!
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
