When God Calls

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Steve Jobs

“Success is not in what you have, but who you are.”
Bo Bennett

“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
William Shakespeare

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.”
William Butler Yeats

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
Dolly Parton

How often do we measure success by what someone else is doing? We are surrounded by expectations, standards, and a culture that tells us to follow the patterns of others to find fulfillment. However, God does not operate this way. His call on our lives is specific, unique, and entirely our own. It is so easy to be distracted by what others are doing, but true obedience means focusing on the path God has carved out for each of us. Peter’s moment of stepping out of the boat is inspiring. It grabs us because it is bold and impressive. But here is the thing people tend to overlook: Peter did not step out of the boat just to be dramatic. He was not looking for validation from the other disciples, or trying to prove he had more faith. When Peter asked, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water,” (Matthew 14:28, ESV), Jesus responded with one word: “Come.” Peter stepped out because Jesus called him to step out. But what about the other disciples? Did their remaining in the boat mean they had less faith? No, the same obedience is true for them. Their role was not to follow Peter, they had their assignment, just as valuable but different. We take Peter’s moment with Jesus, and we make it the standard for everyone. But not everyone is called to step out of the boat. Peter was.

God’s Call: Unique and Personal
Every person’s walk with God is as unique as the person. We are not mass-produced with identical destinies. Paul makes this clear in Romans 12:4-5 (ESV): “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.” Some are called to step out, while others are called to remain and steady the boat. What we often miss is the reality that remaining obedient to God, even if it means staying put, is as significant as stepping into something new. Our culture pushes us to constantly move, to always “do more,” but God’s call is not about activity or even visible results, it is about alignment with His will. Whether you are stepping onto the waves or standing firm in the boat, the only measure that matters is your obedience. But, so often, we are tempted to replicate what worked for someone else. We see their success, and their journey, and think, “If I just do what they did, I will get the same result.” But God is the Creator, not the copier. When you try to imitate someone’s calling, you lose sight of what God is asking of you. What God requires from you may look entirely different. Romans 12:6 (ESV) says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...” So, do not waste time trying to adopt someone else’s calling.

When Your Calling Becomes a Distraction
However, the problem is not always trying to imitate others. Sometimes, when God has called you to step into something, and you are spending all your energy trying to get others to focus on your assignment with you. What are you doing? You are missing the point of your call. God did not ask you to convince others to join your mission; He asked you to step into it. It is like trying to coach others through a game you were meant to play. Sure, you can offer advice and encouragement, but if you never step onto the field and do what you were called to do, you have veered off course. The call is specific. It is yours. When God says, “Come,” it is not an invitation for everyone in your circle. It is for you. Do not waste your time trying to make others follow. But we have turned Peter’s story into a template for risk-taking. How many times have you heard people encourage others with, “Be bold! Step out of the boat!”? Yet we fail to recognize that boldness without direction is just recklessness. Obedience does not always look the same. Peter did not step out until Jesus called him, and that is a critical point that gets lost in the noise of today’s well-meaning but often misguided encouragements. Sometimes bold faith looks like staying where you are. God’s voice may be saying, “Stand firm,” while someone else is being called to move. The challenge is to listen and respond, not compare. What happens when we get this wrong? We start expecting others to live out the same call God placed on us. If we stepped out of the boat, we desire to see everyone else do the same. And if they do not? We either judge them for “staying comfortable” or we start pushing them into things they were not meant to do. God’s call on your life is not a blueprint for everyone else.

Resisting the Pull to Compare
Here is where we get hung up: Comparison kills contentment. Peter’s obedience was no better than the obedience of the ones who stayed in the boat. But, in a world that constantly promotes comparison, it is easy to start looking at the person next to you and wonder why they are not doing what you are doing. God did not call you to live someone else’s life, nor did He call them to live yours. When Peter stepped onto the waves, he was not looking back at the boat wondering why the others were not following. His focus was solely on Jesus. Think about it, Jesus called one disciple to walk on water, and He left the others where they were. Both positions mattered. The boat was not insignificant just because Peter was on the waves. They were not ignoring the call; they simply did not receive the same one. It takes tremendous faith to stay when everyone around you says, “Go.” (We are not talking here about the command in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples.) God might call someone to deep waters while asking another to anchor down and hold steady. It is easy to start comparing, thinking that the person who stepped out is more “spiritual” or “faithful” than the one who stayed back. But comparison is a distraction. God has assigned each of us our lane, and our only job is to run in it. Both require trust, but it is crucial to understand that God has a reason for assigning each role. That does not mean one role is better or bolder than the other—it just means they are different. Obedience can look like movement, or it can look like remaining. Both require a heart fully attuned to God’s voice.

Encouragement Without Imposing
It is easy to get caught up in the idea that just because we are doing good work, we are doing what God has asked us to do. But the truth is, doing more is not the same as fulfilling our specific calling. We cannot measure success by how much we handle or how many people we convince to follow our path. If God has called you to something, it is not about being a coach on the sidelines but about actively participating in the game. Encouraging others is important, but if it takes you away from the work you are specifically tasked with, something is out of balance. We often mistake influence for leadership or obedience, thinking our role is to make others follow the same journey we have been on. But God’s call is personal and individual. Just as Peter’s call was unique to him, so too is yours. Peter did not waste time trying to convince others to join him or look back to see who was following—his focus was on Christ’s command. Your calling might be right in front of you, but you can miss it if you are too busy managing everyone’s journey. Sometimes, it is less about spurring others on and more about focusing on your work. At the same time, our obedience should not become a template for everyone’s journey. God’s plans for others will unfold in their time, and it is not our job to push them into something that may not be their call. Embrace the freedom that comes with staying in your own lane and let others do the same. Romans 12:4-6 reminds us that each role is significant and distinct. There is a temptation to look back and expect others to follow our lead, but this can pull us out of alignment with what God is asking us to do. We cannot fulfill our calling if we are constantly concerned with whether others are doing the same. It is not a race to see who can get out of the boat first or who can gather the most followers. It is about personal obedience. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started worrying about the wind and the waves, he began to sink (Matthew 14:30). The same happens when we look back at others or try to drag them into our calling. We risk sinking into frustration and losing sight of the unique path God has set for each of us. The call is always personal; it is about what God is asking you to do, not about getting others to follow in your footsteps.

Dear reader, keep your eyes on Jesus. If He has called you out of the proverbial boat, step out with boldness. If He has called you to something else, remain confident in Him. Both require faith, and both are valuable in the Kingdom of God. Take a moment to ask yourself: where is God calling you? Has He asked you to take a step into the unknown, or is He asking you to be faithful where you are? Trust His timing and direction. It is not about the speed of your movement or the visibility of your success—it is about obedience in whatever form He is asking of you today. Stop looking around and start looking at Him. Are you resisting the call because it does not look like someone else’s? Are you measuring your faithfulness by someone else’s standard? God does not compare, and neither should you. He has equipped you for exactly what He is calling you to do, whether that is stepping out or standing firm. So, step out if He calls, even when the waves are intimidating. And if He asks you to stay, do not mistake staying for stagnation—sometimes the greatest act of faith is remaining steady in the storm. Let go of the need to see others walking the same path, and instead, focus on faithfully walking the one He has set before you. Your obedience is what matters.