"Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.

And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see.......And the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I Am!""

1 Samuel 3:1-4

It is glaring that being a worker or even an ordained worker or minister at any local assembly of God's people is not equal to a call from the LORD. Quite a significant number of people are doing different things today in the name of God - and almost all assume they have been called by the LORD.

Sometime ago, while I was at a Bible College in Nigeria, our seniors jokingly asked us - "Were you called by God or flashed by God?" We all said yes; but they said, "How were you called?" "Did God call you through MTN or GLO or ETISALAT mobile network?" By the way, those are the leading Telecom Operators in Nigeria.

The point is, how were you called if you so claim? The calling of God is truly without repentance; hence, it is not haphazard or accidental. It is a deliberate and painstaking act of God, which is rooted in His eternal purpose.

I am persuaded that every call of God is a build up or a follow up on anyone's purpose on the earth. God is not thoughtless or a sudden builder or actor- who only acts by stimuli; rather, every action of God is prepared for afore time. The mystery behind this is that, God's calling is hardly for the idle, thoughtless, clueless and passionless men and women.

Where you are before God calls you and where you are after God has called you can greatly inform your destiny - as to whether you will be made or marred in life.

Before God's call on Samuel, he was found to be engaging himself continually in the place of service to God. And soon after he was called, even though he was resting, he made a decision to abandon every comfort for a divine call. He did not give excuses for his possible reluctance to rest; he rather came forward - he presented his vessels for God's complete service.

God calls men and women even today; however, many people have become proficient in excusing themselves from full (total) commitment to the perfect will of God. People prefer to pursue their "passion" at the expense of their purpose. People tell God thousand reasons why God must excuse them, their marriage, their business  or their career from any SERIOUS commitment.

Imagine the kind of excuses people give to God these days - I just got married, I need to settle down for a while; I just got this new job, I need to make a statement; I just borrowed a house loan, I need to pay up, and so on.

The call of God is not actually for the lazy; neither is it for men and women who excuse themselves out of God's glory. You see, the joy of everyone in any kingdom is to serve the King; hence, every call from the King is considered an opportunity to serve. And remember, the calling of God is not to the retirees or the dropouts of schools, businesses, politics and workplaces. Instead, the calling of God is to the men and women, boys and girls who have found something to live for - who are not completely clear about what they MUST do and how they MUST do it. A people of great passion for change and development. A people whose hearts pants for the "heart" of God.

Note, how you respond to God's call on your life can either place you on the path of glory and honour; or place you on the path of shame , regret and dishonour. For Samuel, his response was, "Here I Am!" - What is your own response?

Thanks for the gift of your time, A. Joshua Adedeji!
Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond as soon as possible!