January 21st, 2010
God Only Knows…
Something you hear a lot about in the church is this word “calling.” I think there are two types of responses this word prompts from those who hear it. The first is,
“Me! Me! That is me! God has called me to be ___________.” Fill in the blank. For some, God has undoubtedly placed a specific “calling” on their lives to achieve certain goals and accomplishes specific purposes for Him.
Others may respond more like,
“Well, I’m not good at anything. I don’t have a talent. I’m not sure what a “calling” really is, and when I hear others get excited about it, I just get confused and frustrated.”
If you are part of the first group, awesome. But that is just the beginning of the journey. Keep pursuing God with a passion, and follow Him where he leads, always putting Him first. As for the second group of people, I want to call your attention to the verse that we as a church at Westover Hills AG have been studying this month: Jeremiah 29:11, “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (The Message).
I assure you, that for YOU, this verse is as true as it is for any Christian who seems to know exactly where they are headed in life (and believe me, they probably don’t. A life with Christ is full of surprises… that’s faith!). Maybe it is time to stop asking “What should I do?” And start asking “Who should I be?” God does have a plan and purpose for your life, and the most beautiful part about discovering that purpose is the journey it takes to get there. His plan for you is that you be a person who lives for God with every fiber of your being. A person whose love for God motivates your every word and action. A person who worships God with your life. A person who learns to trust God and believe Him when He says, “I have plans for you.”
His plans. The only plans that matter.
“Ultimately, only God knows what He’s accomplishing in our time. I just know I want to be a part of it, and I urge you to be too. I believe that as we lift up our sovereign God together to His rightful place in our lives and celebrate His greatness in our worship, all the lesser things fall away. And we stand before Him in wonder, ready — maybe for the first time — to live out our true created purpose for His glory.”
~ Chris Tomlin, The Way I Was Made
Nice so we should Attend. Connect. and …Be? Is that what you’re saying?
Thanks for playing the “devil’s advocate.” You bring up a good point. What I am saying is that when we are first concerned with who God has called us to be, the “do” things follow. As we pursue a relationship with God, and as he molds our heart and motivations to look more like those of Christ, suddenly we find that the things we want to do are different. We want to serve, we want to give back, and we want to make a difference in the kingdom of Christ. This blog was mainly directed at people who feel frustrated over not having a specific vocational (career) calling. Its an encouragement to focus on “first things first.”
Amy
Thanks for clarifying.