Called by God but not sure what to do next?
By Brian Sauder
Bam! The book slams to the floor when I drop it. I pick it up and drop it again. Same result. Gravity. It is a system God put in place to help our world function in an orderly fashion. It works the same every time. Gravity is what holds the planets in orbit around the sun and what keeps the moon in orbit around Earth. The gravitational pull of the moon pulls the seas towards it, causing the ocean tides. Gravity creates stars and planets by pulling together the material from which they are made.
God uses systems. The sun comes up every day without the angels in heaven holding a special staff meeting to decide whether or not it should. Seeds that are planted in the ground and watered, grow, each after its own kind. Tomato seeds always produce tomatoes. Carrot seeds always produce carrots. God created everything and set it up to self-govern. Rain falls and crops grow. Sure, there could be seasons of drought, but rain eventually comes. If God uses systems, does it make sense that He also wants us to use systems? The truth is, people who succeed, both Christian and non-Christian, put systems into place to get them where they want to go. Christians can use systems to ensure spiritual growth over time, perhaps by using a daily Bible reading plan or devotional guide to help them stay spiritually strong.
Growing with Systems
We also can use systems with our finances. By paying tithes, a Christian can be sure that their finances will always be blessed. By systematically investing in stocks or real estate, an individual’s net worth will grow. When a person buys a house, it is said the mortgage payment becomes like a forced savings program. A written budget helps an individual to control their spending. These are all systems.
An aspiring lawyer commits to a system called law school to prepare for the rigors of a career in law. A friend of mine in Canada is currently serving as an apprentice with a licensed plumber to learn the trade of plumbing. He salary is less until he is finished with the two-year apprenticeship and works on his own, but it is worth it because the apprenticeship is a system that trains new plumbers.
In 2012, I committed myself to a Master’s Program in Organizational Leadership at Regent University. I wanted to become a better Christian leader and be prepared to train others. My commitment to attain this degree helped me make leadership development a priority in my life. The deadlines for my class assignments were never convenient, but they kept me on track. I must admit part of the reason this course was a priority for me was because I was paying for it. It cost me both time and money.
Learning More
In this system, I learned many practical tools like strategic planning, leadership development and leadership coaching. I use many things I learned in this Master’s Program on a regular basis. I became a better writer because of all the writing assignments. I learned to footnote my writing and create a bibliography. My commitment to this system caused me some anxious moments, but it made learning a priority in my life. The results were very beneficial to me and others.
I love the story of David who was called one day and anointed to be king over all of Israel. But after that great day of being identified as the next king, he just went back home and kept watching the sheep as he had done before. Probably a lot of us feel the way David must have felt at that time: called by God—but not sure what to do next.
For David, it looked like he was doing nothing but waiting. Yet, this was a time of preparation for what was ahead. He had a spirit of excellence that stirred him to become a great musician through practicing his harp. The funny thing is that David’s commitment to becoming a great musician, something that had little to do with being a king who leads soldiers into battle, was a key factor for getting him into the king’s palace. Other young men were brave warriors who had good judgment. They might have qualified just as well for kingship. But it was because David could play the harp really well that he was called in to Saul’s palace. There he became an armor bearer and eventually advanced to face Goliath. The rest is history. David’s system was practicing the harp.
Perhaps, like David, you feel called by the Lord but don’t know where to start. If you feel called to leadership and ministry in the church or marketplace but don’t know how to get started, DOVE International has a system to help you prepare for this. Many leaders within DOVE have committed themselves to prepare for leadership and ministry by taking the DOVE Global Leadership & Ministry School. Essential core principles of godly leadership and practical ministry are taught in this school. Hundreds of school graduates are now engaging God’s call to the church and the marketplace. The DOVE School can be accessed completely online, on-demand at the student’s convenience from anywhere in the world on any device. This is one leadership and ministry training system that can serve to take leaders to the next level.
What Systems Is God Asking You to Put in Place?
How about you? What systems is God is asking you to put in place? How will you grow spiritually? Do you feel called to leadership? How will you grow as a leader? Will it be random bursts of growth or will you find and develop a system that ensures spiritual growth will happen? Will the system have accountability built into it?
Bingeing on Netflix or playing a sport can be fun for a season. But God has more for His children. Establishing systems in our lives is a way to commit to the priorities we feel God wants us to pursue. Systems help us put first things first! Priorities are what we do—everything else is just talk.
