Confidence in Your Call

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Luke 1:26-27 NIV

I’ve often wondered at the disparity between Mary’s response to the angel, Gabriel, and Zechariah’s (husband of Mary’s relative, Elizabeth). Both were approached by Gabriel, both seemingly gave the same answer, yet they experienced vastly different results. Let’s take a closer look.

Zechariah was gripped with fear. (Luke 1:5-25)

• The angel said, “Do not be afraid. Name him John. Give him no wine or fermented drink.”
• Zechariah said, “How can I be sure of this?”
• Gabriel said, “You didn’t believe and so will be silent.”

Same angel. Two distinct outcomes.

Have you ever noticed a lack of faith in your calling also steals your words? You stare at the blank page and doubt every positive feedback you ever received. However, when you have confidence in your call, the words flow onto the page. Maybe the discrepancy between Mary and Zechariah wasn’t in the words they used, but in their attitude:

Mary believed. Luke 1:45

Zechariah doubted. Luke 1:20

How can you take stock in your call to write?

Exercise:

1. Remember Who is doing the calling. If it’s a whim, it will fall by the wayside. If it’s the Lord, it won’t leave you alone.
2. Remember why you were called. Do you have a burden for a special group of people? Do you have life experiences and passion that affirm it?
3. Remember the nudge. Did a passage of scripture, a poem or an article confirm it? Write it down. Keep it handy for reference.

Look back at the stories of Mary and Zechariah. They both are noted for prophesying, but the metamorphosis surrounds when it happened. For Mary, it was before The Babe was born, and for Zechariah, it was after. Let’s choose to step out in faith that the Lord will deliver on His promise and birth a new work in our lives. Find your confidence in the One who calls you.

Will you believe or will you doubt?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net