Pondering Life - 2 Questions

2 Questions:
Missions. I love how your passion for it leads people straight to the Lord. But Can I ask you two things? how did you know exactly what you are called you to do and how Did you know when your husband was the one for you?

My answer:

First of all, God calls us to serve Him, that means the details of what we are doing change a lot because He is alive and new every day. So finding out what you are “called” to can be a seasonal thing. That is called to one thing now, and another thing next year. We are all “called” to serve God fully with all of our hearts all of the time. This is our true calling, and in this calling of relationship with God He directs our paths for us to do what is completely and wholly fulfilling to us – that is fulfilling the “call of God” on our lives. God puts passions in our hearts as to what our callings are. Not just what moves your heart, but what you really feel a passion for. A lot of things move us, because we are emotional beings, but certain things really, really speak to us, and we get on fire about certain things when we are exposed to them or think about them.

I knew I was called to missions because of the overwhelming emotions and desires I have when confronted with people or stories of people from other cultures. It burns in me to the point where I cannot control my emotions at all. I have an intense desire to travel to other countries and help them come to know Christ better. Even though the modern day church teaches that we are not to be run by our emotions, God can definitely speak to us through these emotions, after all, He created us this way.

As far as finding your calling, just pray and ask God to lead you, and always be open to his leading. It may seem He is saying to do one thing, or go to one place, and then when you get there He may lead you to another. This does not mean you have missed God, it just means that you are actively following Him. He doesn’t typically tell us things too far in advance. This helps to keep us seeking Him and more willing to trust Him on a daily basis. Let Him open the doors of opportunity for you, He will bring His will to pass in your life, you just have to keep following His cues to take the right path He is leading you down.

As far as how I knew my husband was the one for me there are several basic principles that I use to make all of the major decisions in my life to make sure that they are God lead. God always confirms His word and will to us, usually at least 3 different times. If you don’t have any confirmations, I would really question the decision.

God confirms things through:
1. PEACE - God is the author of PEACE! Never confusion. If you have peace about a situation you are within the Lords reign, if you have any confusion about it at all, run from it, it is not of God. (I thought about what my life would be like in the future with my husband and without, and I had no peace without him in my life.)
2. Parents and spiritual authority above us (my mom loved him, and his parents loved me)
3. Prophetic words and revelations and dreams and visions. (I actually had gotten a prophetic word describing his physical appearance to the tee!)
4. Godly counsel and wisdom from friends (people who knew us well said we were a good couple) 5. Circumstances – physical doors opening and shutting, things happening in our lives. (our vision and callings were the same – missions and evangelism/discipleship).

I hope this helps, just keep seeking God, and learn to walk in patience and love. God is never in a rush, He does things on His own perfect timing. We have waited for 20 years to finally launch out onto the mission field. I wish it could have been sooner, but I am glad that we have been in God’s timing, because now I know that it really is God and not just my idea. Follow Him, and He will bless you!