Called
Perspective is a tricky thing. As I reflect on the weekend, the discouragement and frustrations of life seem much less significant than they did 3 days ago. Nothing radical has changed, just that little thing called perspective. The circumstances of life caught up with me over the past week and weighed me down. I allowed them to skew how I looked at the world. That's where perspective gets tricky. I allowed my circumstances to control me rather than resting in the arms of my King.
A few days have passed and the world looks a little diffrerent. I've been reminded of some key truths. The focus of the class I'm taking has been on calling this week and it's made me really think about what I'm doing. While I never doubted my calling, I certainly lost sight of it in the midst of the baggage of life. My vision became blurry and self centered. As our class worked through different aspects of calling I kept coming back that calling is simply obeying God. Nothing more. When called, I have a choice to obey all the way, or to turn my back in homage to guys like Jonah. But I think that obedience to one's calling goes beyond the first act of doing what God says.
Many people think that obeying the initial call is where the hard part lies and once we've crossed into obedience it'll get easier. I'm not one of those people. I believe that as we continue to work out our salvation, or calling, we are continually faced with the challenge to be faithful to our calling that we may have received long ago. Maybe back then obedience was easy, but once in the situation we've been called to, life can begin to get routine, lazy if you will.
That's where I've been recently. The initial call was obeyed, but I haven't been living up to my "calling". I'm here. I'm where God wants me. That's not enough. What I am doing with the opportunities and challenges He's given me now that I'm here? That's where I fulfill my calling. Much of my discouragement has come from my complacency to that calling. At times I'd been phoning it in.
Tonight, as all these thoughts were coming into focus we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness at prayer meeting. "Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not". During the time of prayer, all I could think about was that simple truth. If God doesn't change, why in the world am I so bent out of shape? Then it clicked. Locationally (not sure that's a word) I'm in the right spot. But living according to my calling, I have a ways to go. As that truth was revealed, my heart was lifted, my energies renewed. There are so many to serve here. That's my calling. I better get to it.
I lift up my eyes to the hills,
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
My calling is secure. My God doesn't change.
That's pretty sweet!
A few days have passed and the world looks a little diffrerent. I've been reminded of some key truths. The focus of the class I'm taking has been on calling this week and it's made me really think about what I'm doing. While I never doubted my calling, I certainly lost sight of it in the midst of the baggage of life. My vision became blurry and self centered. As our class worked through different aspects of calling I kept coming back that calling is simply obeying God. Nothing more. When called, I have a choice to obey all the way, or to turn my back in homage to guys like Jonah. But I think that obedience to one's calling goes beyond the first act of doing what God says.
Many people think that obeying the initial call is where the hard part lies and once we've crossed into obedience it'll get easier. I'm not one of those people. I believe that as we continue to work out our salvation, or calling, we are continually faced with the challenge to be faithful to our calling that we may have received long ago. Maybe back then obedience was easy, but once in the situation we've been called to, life can begin to get routine, lazy if you will.
That's where I've been recently. The initial call was obeyed, but I haven't been living up to my "calling". I'm here. I'm where God wants me. That's not enough. What I am doing with the opportunities and challenges He's given me now that I'm here? That's where I fulfill my calling. Much of my discouragement has come from my complacency to that calling. At times I'd been phoning it in.
Tonight, as all these thoughts were coming into focus we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness at prayer meeting. "Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not". During the time of prayer, all I could think about was that simple truth. If God doesn't change, why in the world am I so bent out of shape? Then it clicked. Locationally (not sure that's a word) I'm in the right spot. But living according to my calling, I have a ways to go. As that truth was revealed, my heart was lifted, my energies renewed. There are so many to serve here. That's my calling. I better get to it.
I lift up my eyes to the hills,
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
My calling is secure. My God doesn't change.
That's pretty sweet!
posted by Mike at 9:37 PM
1 Comments:
Wise and encouraging thoughts.
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