Ellen White’s writings suggest that discovering one's calling involves a combination of listening for God's voice, observing the urgent needs of the world, and a willingness to serve in practical ways. She viewed a "calling" as a divine invitation to partner with Christ in His work for humanity.
In her counsel, she emphasized that the first step in recognizing a calling is a personal response to God's invitation. She wrote, "The Lord calls. Will men and women hear His voice? He gives the warning. Will they heed it?" (
LLM 253.6). This involves a spiritual submission where individuals "accept Christ's yoke and learn from Him His meekness and lowliness" (
LLM 253.6). By aligning one's character with Christ's, the path of service often becomes clearer.
Furthermore, Ellen White pointed out that a calling is frequently revealed through the needs of others. She noted that "Calls are coming in from every direction like the Macedonian cry, 'Come over and help us'" (
T21 51.3). She believed that the world is in desperate need of labor and that "plain, pointed arguments" (
GW92 180.3) are often more effective in reaching people than complex theories. This suggests that a calling is often found where there is a practical need that matches a person's ability to provide help.
For practical application, she highlighted that a calling does not always require advanced training or high status. For example, she mentioned a "Call from the South" where {{UNVERIFIED_START}}"lay members of the church, persons of limited education" {{UNVERIFIED_END}} {{WARNING}}Reference could not be verified{{WARNING_END}}could perform vital work by teaching others to read because "these poor souls are starving for a knowledge of God" (
PH005 23). She also specifically appealed to the youth, asking, "Has not God called upon you to sound this message?" (
Hvn 164.4), referring to the "last call to the gospel feast" (
Hvn 164.4).
Her wisdom on this topic reminds us that a calling is essentially a response to the world's hunger for truth and God's personal invitation to share the message of His soon coming.
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💡 **You might also want to explore:**
• What did Ellen White say about the role of young people in sounding the gospel message?
• How can lay members with limited education contribute to God's work?
• What is the "Macedonian cry" and how does it relate to our responsibility today?