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“I urge you to live a life

worthy of the calling you
have received.”
Ephesians 4:1b

GOD’S CALL
Philip Wandawa March 2019, Issue 83
Some people think it is only those who serve in church that have been called by God.
This month, Philip shares his thoughts on God’s call for everyone.
1. As principal of KEST, do you view your role as a career or God ’s call upon
your life?
I personally do not find it helpful to draw a hard line between “career” and
“call”. We are all called irrespective of career path. Although I did not
recognize it as consciously as I do now, it ’s clear that God has had a call on my
life from the very beginning. I gradually became aware and responded to it
through the circumstances and opportunities which are common to many
Christians in the ordinary course of life. I was involved in Scripture Union (SU)
in secondary school and served as chairman in my A ’ Level. I was also active in
the Christian Union (CU) at Makerere University where I served first, as Chair
of Mitchell Hall Fellowship, and later as Outreach Secretary for the Main CU.
And, as soon as I graduated I was recruited (into ‘full-time ministry’) by
Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS) to serve as Travelling Secretary
(student worker). About 3 years later doors opened for me to serve with KEST
as the very first full-time Program Coordinator.
2. Many people would like to know what God ’s call is on their life, is there a
way they can be sure?
Philip facilitating a session at a men’s camp in 2017
It is important to recognize, at the onset, that God ’s call upon all humanity is
more immediate and direct than we realize. As matter of fact, there is a It reveals the universal scope of the Kingdom of God (body of Christ), and the
double call on every human being. The first is the original call through diversity of callings, functions, and roles within that Kingdom.
creation. The second is the redemptive call through Christ, the gospel.
3. Can there be more than one call from God on an individual?
a. The First or Original Call
Ultimately, there is only one call. It is the call to Christ and his Kingdom. But
The original call has been universally communicated through creation (Psalms.
within that call we are given different assignments, and deployed in different
19). It is apprehended by all and is immediately binding upon every human
areas of engagement. But no matter what our assignment is or where we are
being irrespective of race, tribe, language, religion, gender, geographical
deployed, we are called to live in a manner worthy of our calling as Kingdom
location, education, social and/or economic status. It ’s the calling that arises
people (Ephesians 4:1). To understand the issue of calling better, it might be
from being created in the im ago de i, image of God. It’s the calling to live up to
helpful to break it up into three related questions:
the privileges and responsibilities of being created a human being (Romans
1:19-20). These privileges and responsibilities are sometimes manifested and First, how many calls are there and who is called? The answer is, there is only
even enshrined, albeit imperfectly, in the moral principles, and in civil and one call — a call to be children God and members of the Kingdom of God (John
legal codes of many societies and cultures. 1:10-12; Colossians 1:12-14). The response to this call and membership in the
The privileges encompass many things including: the physical, moral, spiritual, Kingdom of God is through Christ alone. Everyone is called to citizenship and
intellectual, creative, and imaginative potential, gifts and attributes which all participation in the Kingdom.
human beings are endowed with. It is these same attributes and gifts which Second, have you responded to the call to redemption or to membership in the
set human beings apart from and even above nature and other creatures Kingdom of God? This is a question which every human being has to answer for
(Psalms 8). On the other hand, the responsibilities arise from the fact that God themselves.
has, by virtue of the gifts and attributes, made every human being an agent Third, now that you have responded to Christ and are a member of the
capable of being an active participant in the actualization of God ’s will in the Kingdom of God, what are you doing about it? In other words, the question is
world. Every human, irrespective of who or what they are, is therefore an not about whether you are called, gifted, anointed or not. If you are in Christ
agent in whatever role or position they are — whether as a father or mother, then you are already called and gifted. The real issue then is to discover your
husband or wife, parent or child, son or daughter, brother or sister, aunt or un- specific role in the body of Christ, and to look for the opportunities where you
cle, friend or acquaintance, neighbor or stranger, colleague or workmate, can be of help. There are three diagnostic questions which can help one to
employer or employee, supervisor or subordinate, team leader or team identify their role or area of engagement in the body of Christ:
member, inventor/service provider or consumer, teacher or student, 1. What is there to do – in the church and outside the church? This will involve
entrepreneur or civil servant, peasant or professional, etc. Each one is called finding out or asking about what programs or activities there are in church or
to exercise their agency in line with the will of the One in whose image they outside the church where your gifts, knowledge, skills may be needed and
are made. helpful.
2. What skills or competences do I have to offer? What am good at? This

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involves doing a skills or competence audit of yourself. Here you will need the

Everyone is called help of good friends who’ll give you an honest assessment of what you are
good at. Your pastor or mentor can be of help here too.
3. What is my passion? What do I love to do? It is important to keep in mind
that what you are good at is not necessarily what you are passionate about or
b. The Second or Redemptive Call love to do. The latter (what you love/passionate about) has more staying
The second, redemptive, call arises because of the fall, namely that humanity power than the former (what you are good at). The ideal of course is where
on their own are unable to live up to the privileges and responsibilities of the what you love and what you are good at coincide.
high and holy original call! This call is revealed to us, not generally in creation
but specifically, in the message of the gospel of Christ. Through the gospel we  Philip Wandawa is the principal at Kampala Evangelical School of
learn that Christ came to help us to do, not what we could do on our own but, Theology (KEST).
what we could not do on our own (Romans 5:5 -8). The second call, to
redemption, does three things for us:  He is a serving elder at Kampala Baptist Church.
It confirms and clarifies the original call from creation by showing that its
author is actually the same one who has revealed himself in Christ as the The KEY RING is a monthly publication by the Kampala Baptist Church Media Team
Father—the one from whom all goodness flows, and in whom all things cohere that seeks to provide an avenue where men and women can share knowledge and
(Ephesians 3:14 -19; Colossians 1: 15 – 20). understanding of the word of God, experiences and encourage one another as the
It reveals the true goal of the original call (through creation) —namely that it older perform the act of ‘paralambano’ to the younger.
was a call to the Kingdom of God now revealed in Christ (Colossians 1:13 -14)
Our prayer is that the Lord will speak to you through this publication.

Drop us an email at kbcmediateam@gmail.com | Visit the church website at www.kbcuganda.org