The call, not a burden

If you’re a Salvationist (Salvation Army church member), you’ve probably heard about the ‘call’ to become a Salvation Army officer. For others, this may be the call to pastoral ministry or a similar purpose. This topic is significant in our church, yet for many, it has become less of a special, exciting prospect and more of a taboo subject. It often feels like a test, filled with questions that breed insecurity, or even monologues that instill fear. For many young people, it has become a burdensome and uncertain responsibility which is to be avoided. 

For a long time, I thought that doubts and insecurity about the call were a very Latin American thing. During ‘Conversations with the General: Young People,’ [when members of The Salvation Army International Children and Young People Group interviewed the international leaders of The Salvation Army] Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham (World President of Women’s Ministries) pointed out: ‘In different parts of the world, we are seriously struggling with young people answering to the call to be officers.’ This reluctance can stem from many things: inflexible roles, rigid procedures or simply the fear of instability. The result is the same – the belief that responding to the call is a burden rather than a privilege. Yet, the biblical principle is clear: to follow Jesus is to take up the cross (Luke 9:23). The cross is heavy, and that truth doesn’t change, regardless of the era or context. 

God Calls the Unlikely

The Bible is full of stories of God calling people with different strengths and weaknesses. He called Isaiah, ‘Here I am, send me.’ Moses: insecurity but obedience. Samuel: doubt, but sensitivity. Mary: faith and surrender. He called the disciples, who left everything to follow the Master. 

This is the most beautiful truth: God doesn’t seek perfect people; He seeks willing hearts. He embraces our doubts with patience.

And then there’s Gideon, my favorite one, a man filled with so many doubts he even asked God for proof. But God didn’t judge him. With patience and repeated affirmations, he called Gideon a ‘mighty warrior’, not because of who Gideon was, but because of what God intended to do through him. This is the most beautiful truth: God doesn’t seek perfect people; he seeks willing hearts. He embraces our doubts with patience. 

I remember praying to God, ‘Lord, if you have something to say, do it through Commissioner Debbie’ [Commissioner Debbie Horwood, International Secretary for Programme Resources]. That same day, at a Compass Forum in London, she led the devotion and spoke about the call. She talked about the mission being like walking barefoot – sometimes it feels good, but other times there are branches that can hurt. The mission requires us to be vulnerable and sensitive to God’s voice. Her testimony fuelled my desire, challenged my fears and constantly pushed me to give my all. 

Don’t Delay Your Call

Sometimes we hear a message from the Holy Spirit over and over, whether through the Bible, sermons or event Tiktok videos, yet we try to ignore it. Let’s remember what happened to Jonah – he fulfilled his call eventually, but only after a difficult detour. What if we stop negotiating with God and avoid those alternate routes? 

I know there are ambitious dreams that might be stopping you from saying that ‘yes’ which leads to your purpose. The disciples left great businesses behind to follow Jesus. Serving God isn’t always comfortable, but is worth it. As Captain Marc and Mariska Potters [the former International Youth and Children’s Officers) once said, ‘Don’t delay your call; trust in God and sign up.’ 

If God has called you, he will back you up and sustain you, but you must trust him. 

Of course, we need to be wise. Not everyone who wants to be a pastor should be one. Leaders must be careful. The training is valuable, but the battlefield is difficult. If you feel a call to ministry, read 1 Timothy 3 and consult with your pastor. 

In a world that desperately needs hope, we need bold people who won’t settle. We need strategists of the Kingdom. 

Perhaps your call is in your ministry, at home, at your university, or in the pastorate. Wherever God places you, remember this: we are an Army, and an Army needs its soldiers. Not spectators, not conformists, but those who believe that with God, the impossible is possible!