How does a man know he is called of God?

How does a man know he is called of God?

First, there is the secret inner call known only to the minister himself.

Does the person have a strong desire to serve God in the ministry?

Is there evidence of the calling of the Holy Spirit in one’s life?

If one has this desire and believes God is calling him, then he should begin to examine himself to make sure he is hearing the right message. Thomas Oden lists questions one should ask oneself.

Here are some of them:

1. Is this desire occasional or persistent?

2. Are there obvious blockages or irreversible encumbrances?

3. How much am I willing to give up?

4. How spiritually mature am I?

5. Can I stand alone, accountable before God?

6. Have I consulted with others concerning their perception of my potential gifts for ministry?

Oden suggests that anyone who is resistant to this sort of soul-searching might not be a good candidate for the pastoral office.

All of these questions involve judgments that have to be made and are therefore somewhat subjective—except one.

When there are things in one’s history that disqualify one from serving, subjective feelings should not override the qualifications given in Scripture. These qualifications will be discussed later, but they are summed up in one word: blameless.

Gerald P. Cowen, Who Rules the Church?: Examining Congregational Leadership and Church Government (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 29–30