Have you ever had a calling from God?

[stanzaorganza]

My neighbour is an accountant. He is 33, married to a lovely woman and has no children. They are both very Christian and regularly talk about God in everyday conversation ie. when they got married they could feel God’s presence etc.

He has recently had a calling from God to try a long held dream to become a singer. He says he has felt God leading him down this path and can no longer refuse him.

This is all great but what does a calling from God actually involve? What’s the difference between that and just deciding you fancy a career change? As a non Christian this is not something I have ever experienced but interested to find out.

The way I understood it, if being a singer is not a calling from God, then this path won't work out for him. Unless his call is to be a failed singer which, I dunno, does not sound quite right to me. A sense of call is discerned by prayer, conversation and reflection, not by quitting one's job as an accountant and having a bash at a new career. (Or so I am learning, see below.)

My experience of a call from God was quite frightening, the first thing I did was discuss various aspects of it all with a priest. (Actually several different priests as I was quite freaked out by the whole thing.) I agree with @PurpleThistles84 it's like a nagging feeling, also I know when I've got it wrong because I get a sensation resembling a headache.

If he was called to, for example, sing in a choir or lead music worship in his church or start a community music group or something even as a starting point I would interpret this differently to making a connection with his existing career.

Good luck to him though however he is called to make music! Interesting to read about others' experiences too as a I'm still on the journey (aren't we all) so thank to those posters for sharing.

Sneery-how so?
All ive done is post about my experiences on a thread that asked.
You are the one having a meltdown and calling us all the C word....

OP it struck me you said your neighbour and his wife have no children. Most devoutly religious people do want to have children, they see them as a gift from God. I just wonder if they haven’t been able to have them and he wants to feel that God had other plans for him.

Religious people might interpret something coming from nowhere in particular as coming from God. A good example is the 'muse' inspiration to create something artistic. For some people it just comes out of nowhere, for others it's the Holy Spirit or God.

When you said a calling from God, I thought you meant for the ministry or to become a nun. Having seen what life is like in lockdown, no way could I be a cloistered nun, even though some people would say I already live like a nun in some ways.

There used to be a poster in my local church when I was a child (rural Ireland, 80s) with the strapline IS GOD CALLING YOU? which used to absolutely horrify us -- the image was a crowded streetscene in black and white, with just two people in completely different parts of the frame, in colour, with 'suddenly listening' expressions.

This didn't of course mean that God was calling us to be in a band or to enter X-Factor, it meant you Had a Vocation to be a priest or a nun, and our nun teachers were extremely firm on the fact that if God was calling you, it didn't matter if the idea of being a priest or nun didn't appeal to you, or how much you resisted, the Call of God was irresistible, and you would inevitably be dragged back to the seminary/convent from your life of carefree dancing on tables and shagging about somewhere Godless and fun.

God is good, it is not Him who tells people to be killers and abusers! The people who are doing this are following evils desires. The devil roams the earth and he is attractive to many. Power, wealth, luxury, status, pornography, drugs, alcohol - all tools from the devil himself.

I'm an atheist, maybe an extreme one, who believes in nothing but science and what can be proved.

Probably the reason I am an atheist is because God has never called on me, and He thinks I'm a lost cause .

I bash the religion (talking snakes, slavery, lack of equality, reincarnation) not it's believers. The belief helps people, hinders people, sometimes provides friends and a community, sometimes isolates them...just like atheism, actually. Life as a standard.

I have two very Christian friends (they are strangers to each other), each at one point over the years have said they have had a dream whereby God spoke.to them and gave them a "calling". First friend, this happened to about 15 years ago. Apparently, god told him to "become a famous singer musician". Now, my friend can play guitar amazingly..But he is a shit singer. And a bit weird. He also likes to think he is the next David bowie and spends his family's money on skin tight leather etc. His "band" is a mix of pot bellied men in their 40s onwards. It does sound mean- but this is all fact, not opinion. Needless to say in over 15 years he's never scored even one paid gig, let alone the world fame God told him to go for.

My other friend said god came to her and told her to start up this business idea in the country she's living in. Despite the fact she has no money for it, the banks have refused to lend to her because she has no savings and refuses to work, she doesn't have the contacts needed for the industry (which in the country she's in takes decades of work to achieve), she refuses to actually socialise with anyone which completely stymies the needs of the business to even start and to top it all off she can't speak or write fluently in the language for the country the business is for despite living there for 20 years. She also doesn't have the actual physical time needed to dedicate to starting the business , and worst of all no one actually wants to work with her because she can be extremely demanding and expectant.

Their "callings" from god have led them to both waste years of their lives on something that they feel they just "cannot let go of", because if they did it would be "defying God's will". Religion has a lot to answer for.

I had a relative who had a 'calling' to become a christian. He went on to devote his entire life to Christianity and the service of god, which led to him engaging, directly and indirectly in abhorrent behaviours in the name of a higher being.

Dualistic belief systems allow people to absolve themselves of responsibility and awareness if they choose to do so.

I know this isn't what you asked but I hate it when people do this.

It is entirely possible to believe both in science and also in Christianity. It is not a black and white one way is the right way and the only way. There are scientists that are Christian and there are Christians that believe in science. The most fundamental aspect of believing in God is that everything is created by him. Including science. It is a very narrow minded way of thinking to assume that science is the opposite of faith.

He never calls me, just shouts hello over the fence.

God is good

Is that the same God who flooded the planet killing millions? Then there was the slaughtering in Egypt.
Then there's the whole stoning naughty women.

God is not good.

Misogynistic, sexist and cruel.

And then of course let's not forget the centuries of Christians kindly helping the indigenous people 'find' Christianity.

Is that the same God who flooded the planet killing millions?

Yeah, it takes a LOT of theological gymnastics to make the god of the Old Testament sound like anything other than a genocidal maniac who arbitrarily decides to take an interest in the Israelites.

@babdoc

I agree- well said. It’s interesting how some people have thoughtfully answered the OPs question yet others are just calling people names and throwing insults around. Says it all really.

What happens if the calling from God harms other people?

What happens if the calling from God harms other people

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are:

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self control

In my opinion, if you arent exhibiting these then its not from God.

I think the person who said ‘some’ was missing from a post, was entirely correct.

Not all Christians are responsible for what some historical Christians did, or what bad people claiming to be Christians do today.

Unless we’re all going to take personal responsibility for the atrocities associated with the British Empire (for those who are British of course) and if you would like to take personal responsibility for all the bad stuff people claiming to be atheists do. I don’t think we can say all Christians are the same either.

If you want to understand, as a previous poster said, begin with a Case for Christ - there’s a film if you don’t want to read a book. If you don’t, that’s okay too.

Yeah, it takes a LOT of theological gymnastics to make the god of the Old Testament sound like anything other than a genocidal maniac who arbitrarily decides to take an interest in the Israelites.

Finally, some gymnastics I can be good at! Firstly, there was no death until people decided they wanted to live without God. That's what the creation story tells us. So all this killing and death seems like a natural consequence of choosing to turn your back on your creator. It's not immediate, though. You choose to live your life without God, that's fine. You can still experience God's blessings in your life, but at some point it'll be cut off - you can't live forever.

Secondly, nothing arbitrary about it. God chose those who put him first and their descendants. It didn't wholly work out, but actually it wasn't meant to. The Israelites were given rules to follow if they wanted to be God's people, but there was always the option to step out of that, and the option to join if you weren't born an Israelite.

I guess the alternative was not to take an interest in anyone?

In my opinion, if you arent exhibiting these then its not from God

I know of someone whose “calling” harmed others and yet they have been feted for their devotion to god from religious institutions, they’re a celebrated figure and yet everyone ignores the fall out.

In my opinion, if you arent exhibiting these then its not from God.

So why has this great, powerful, kind and loving being ever not stepped in

"Actually, I'd rather you not enslave, rape, murder and commit mass genocide in my name"

@CharlotteCollinsneeLucas So basically God is great as long as you do exactly as he says. Believe exactly what he tells you to and worships him.

That's abusive.

I know of someone whose “calling” harmed others and yet they have been feted for their devotion to god from religious institutions, they’re a celebrated figure and yet everyone ignores the fall out

I'm quite sure plenty exist like this. I would refer back to beebie2's post- not everyone who does something "in God's name" means its right or is actually a Christian. If I killed someone in your name, or "for you" would that be your fault?

I'm quite sure plenty exist like this. I would refer back to beebie2's post- not everyone who does something "in God's name" means its right or is actually a Christian

Possibly someone should tell religious institutions that funded said recipient of calling....

What happens if the calling from God harms other people?

I was taught that if the calling from God tells you to harm other people or yourself then it is not a calling from God. Not sure what to do about indirect harm; maybe someone else on the thread knows God's views on collateral damage. Old Testament God didn't seem that bothered.