Responding to God's Call

I like the outline of the commentary (The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren Wiersbe via PC Study Bible) made about Isaiah 6.

In Isaiah 6 we find the nation Judah in unstable circumstances as it's King Uzziah died. This king was very good and fruitful and was responsible for Israel's national growth (Yet in his latter days, he became too proud and was stricken with leprosy and died). This was when Isaiah saw the vision of the King of kings seated on a throne.

Isaiah 6 is what Isaiah experienced as he responded to God's call as a prophet. As Spirit-filled leaders we go through the same experience as we respond to God's call for our life. Consider these three progression of Isaiah's calling:

He saw the Lord (Sight) - In the uncertainty of times caused by the death of a powerful king, Isaiah saw in a vision the Lord seated on a throne as a reigning King. "I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple." He also saw angels worshipping the Lord crying "Holy, holy, holy".

Vision does not begin with us. As Ptr. Rick Warren always say, "It's not about us." It begins with God, seeing with spiritual eyes His greatness, holiness and grandeur.

He saw himself (Insight) - And as Isaiah saw the greatness and holiness of the Lord, and realizing he was standing in His presence, he saw himself--a worthless, sinful man. "Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips!" was the cry of Isaiah in the presence of the Lord.

As we come before God in worship and reverence, we cannot help but be amazed by Him, and see ourselves as unworthy of this glory. We will not be able to proclaim woes to other people, when we do not realize our own woes--our weaknesses and misgivings. To be able to be used by God, we are called to be repentant, teachable and humble. Before God our Potter mold us up, He breaks us down--and that we should be aware of.

So in Isaiah's vision he sees an angel take coals from the altar and touched his lips with it as a gesture of cleansing through fire. As ministers (people who do ministry), trials come to bring out the best in us. Consider Peter's words that out of trials and suffering come character, patience and endurance.

He saw the need (Vision) - After these, God throws the challenge, "Whom shall I send?" And with no hesitation, Isaiah responds "Here I am send me!" God presented a need, Isaiah saw the need and met the need.

We need to realize that before a vision is given, before we set our foot to walk the path of ministry, the two previous awareness are non-negotiable (seeing who God is and who we are). It's placing yourself where you're supposed to be (in humility and service), and placing God in your life where He is supposed to be (as King and Lord of our lives).

In Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels (read the book!), he defines one's calling as seeing one's passion coming in parallel with God's passion. Moses saw the need, the plight of Hebrew slaves in Egypt--It was the heart of God all along. God said, "I hear the cries of my people, and I am sending you." Moses' at first failed to be where he was supposed to be in their relationship with God. He tried rescuing Israel with his own might. God brought him through 40 years of stripping and molding--trial by fire. And only then, came that one day like any other that would begin his extraordinary walk with God.

Anointed servanthood is seeing who God is + seeing who we are + seeing and responding to the need, our passion coming in alignment with God's passion.