I enjoy studying the lives of women ministers from previous times. One of the things that inspires me the most about these women is their faithfulness to God’s call-and their willingness to respond to it without hesitation.

In most cases, when they heard the voice of God, they moved. They didn’t wait around to get their pastor’s permission, receive a prophetic word of confirmation or find three places in the Word to validate their ministry. They just got up and did what God said.

Sometimes they held back for a time because of seeming obstacles they faced, such as their lack of qualifications or the opposition of their families. But once they were convinced that God had spoken, they stopped making excuses and got busy furthering His kingdom.

Maria Woodworth-Etter, a healing evangelist in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was one who did take a number of years to step fully into her call. Converted at age 13, she knew early on that she was to “work for Jesus” in the salvation of souls. But because she had no example to follow of other godly women in ministry, she thought she would have to wait until she was married and, with her husband, enter into mission work. In her day that was the only respectable way for women to enter into public ministry other than becoming foreign missionaries.

After she was married, the Lord continued to call her. She tried to tell Him that she was too weak physically, that she didn’t know the Bible well enough, that she would hinder His cause because she was a woman and that her family was against her going out to minister. But to every objection the Lord answered simply, “Go, and I will be with you.”

Still she resisted. Finally, as she continued to study the Word, she saw that throughout history God had raised up men, women and children for His purposes, including such biblical figures as Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Hulda, Anna, Phoebe, Narcissus, Tryphena, Persis, Julia “and many other women whose labors are mentioned with praise.” She began to feel condemned for hiding the talent she believed God had given her to win souls and resolved to step out.

Her first meeting was one of the hardest she ever held because it was in a town full of her husband’s relatives. But 20 people were converted at that meeting, and before long, she was holding several meetings throughout the week as well as every weekend in neighboring towns. Eventually, she traveled all over the country holding tent meetings in which thousands were saved, healed, delivered and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

I’ve seen pictures of some of those meetings, and they weren’t glamorous. The tent was pitched in the middle of a large, open field that was often wet and muddy. Maria had to walk through the field in long dresses – the fashion of the day – and lace-up boots. She had no air conditioning to keep her cool while she preached and no money to stay in fancy hotels when she was finished. Nor did she have overwhelming support from other ministers, especially men, in the places she was led to go. All she had was a call from God and a determination to fulfill it.

We can learn something from Maria’s persistence and her desire to be obedient even in the face of obstacles and opposition from critics. I like to think that, because of her faithfulness, God redeemed the time during which she had delayed answering His call.

But we can also learn something from her initially dragging her feet, and that is that we can’t allow Satan to keep us from our destinies for even a short time. When we hear God’s call, we need to respond – and not offer Him a list of excuses instead. Like the servants at the wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle, we must be willing to do “whatever He says to [us]” (John 2:5, NKJV), even if it doesn’t seem to make sense.

The enemy is working hard to advance his kingdom in our day, and there are consequences for putting God’s work on hold. More than one hundred years ago when Maria Woodworth-Etter told the Lord she would go to work in His vineyard as soon as she got prepared, He asked her, “Don’t you know that while you are getting ready souls are perishing?” How much more true this is today, with the increased number of negative cultural influences threatening the Christian foundations of our country!

I urge you, my sisters, if today you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts (see Ps. 95:8), close up your ears or rationalize the call away. Don’t waver or delay. Whatever He says to you, do it-and begin right now to make a difference for eternity.

Maureen D. Eha is associate editor of “Charisma” and “SpiritLed Woman” magazines.

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