The above discussion questions appear in the study
Bible at the point where God calls out to Moses from the burning bush. My first response to the question is that my fundamental
mission in life will never change—to be a faithful disciple of Christ. One can be in a multitude of places and
circumstances and still seek to fulfill such a mission. But here clearly God gives Moses a specific
assignment, not some overall mission—an assignment that he could not achieve
while living in Midian tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law. So the more difficult question is: what if
God were to give me a new specific assignment—one that calls for dramatic
changes? Since I am a “home body” and
value tremendously stability in my affairs, what if of a sudden God should ask me
to make striking and drastic changes in my life? In this light it is clear that I also like
Moses would require something as dramatic as a burning bush. Otherwise, I would tend to question the
validity of subtle leadings so markedly different from my basic patterns of
behavior. While such a calling cannot be
ruled out as impossible, in its absence it is necessary to rely on a pale substitute,
namely compelling situations and circumstances that are intensely felt. Certainly in this world, one need only watch
the evening news to know that multiple compelling circumstances always exist. It’s just that I feel no compulsion to take
personal ownership regarding them. If I
were to feel moved to action by some such circumstance, then I would have to
conclude that since this is so foreign from my usual practices and habits, that
the leadings of the Holy Spirit may well be evidenced. A low-profile example comes to mind. Some weeks ago Kathy and I watched two
documentaries on the meat industry (Forks
over Knives and Food Inc.). We found the documentaries so compelling, we
became vegetarians on the spot. Our
awareness of the subject was heightened, we determined that it had a moral
aspect, and that new behavior was clearly indicated, exigent, and doable. In the absence of a burning bush, something on
this order of magnitude is necessary (if in fact not something of greater magnitude
since major disruptions in life might be called for).
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