The Awareness of the Call

. . . for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16

We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.

If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.

If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.

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對神呼召的體認

我是不得已的，若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）

我們很容易忘記神那神秘超然的觸摸。你若能清楚說明在那裡得到神怎麼樣的呼召，我就懷疑你是否真有神的呼召。神的呼召不是這樣來的，它比這更超然。一個人在一生中對這呼召的體認，可能是像霹靂雷想般驟至，也可以像黎明般逐漸破曉，但無論它怎樣來，總隨著超然的暗湧而來，不能以言辭來說明，而且總帶著火光。這無法測度、超然、叫人驚愕、抓住你整個生命的呼召，隨時都會突然臨到－－[我揀選了你。 ]神的呼召與扽就成聖沒有關係。不是因為你成聖了，所以召你去傳福音；傳福音的呼召與此全然不同。保羅形容這是一件不得已的必然任務。

若你阻擋了神在你生命中超然的呼召，試查察一下，看看你哪一方面沒有把神放在首位，只以自己事奉的見解，或性格的專長為首。保羅說：[若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 ]他既已體認神的呼召，就專為此努力，心無旁騖。

人被神呼召，不必管環境怎樣不利，萬事都要互相效力至終指向神的目標。你若順服神的計劃，他不但把你意識可及的生命，就是生命中你無法探測的深邃，都調協和諧起來。

祈禱◆願今天充滿了神的能力，聲音和平安。我何其渴望在一切事物中認知到你那寬大的心！願你保守我裡面那種被呼召的感覺，歷久彌新和充滿活力。