...be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. (2 Pet 1:10 NIV)
God is a God of love, of power and of purpose. He also empowers us to fulfill a loving purpose. Father God has a general purpose for all Christians, but He also has a specific purpose or calling for each individual Christian. Each one has a specific race to run and course to finish.
Today let’s consider what we need to do in order to fulfill our calling…
First of all,
Position Yourself to See
Jesus said the following amazing words, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing...” (John 5:19 NIV)
Our prayer needs to mature from being a shopping list of selfish “Gimme, gimme’s” to us pursuing the Father’s heart and asking: “Father, show me what You are doing”. Many of us are at a crossroads in our life and we desperately need to see clearly. Oftentimes seeing clearly requires us to change our position or perspective. To reposition yourself often requires repentance. I’ve explained previously that the word for repentance in Greek is metanoia, which means literally, having a new or changed mind. Repentance involves us changing our outlook on things.
The prophet Habakkuk determined to do this and said, “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me...” (Hab 2:1 NIV)
Habakkuk positioned himself to see. Have you positioned yourself to see strategically?
Position --> Strategy --> Accountability --> Growth
Being correctly positioned helps us to download strategy from the Spirit which in turn holds us accountable to God. Being held accountable often accelerates our personal growth.
At the same time also,
Attune Yourself to Hear
Jesus said to John the revelator, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:7 NIV). We need to be continually asking two questions: “What is the Spirit saying to the churches?” AND, “What is the Spirit saying to me?”
Being led by the Spirit is a sign of maturity. Scripture tells us that, “..those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14 NIV) (The Greek word for sons here is huios which means literally mature sons who are no longer children).
We can learn spiritual lessons from the natural progression in the conception and eventual birth of a child. Intimacy results in Conception after which there is a nine-month period of Incubation followed by Birth.
Intimacy --> Conception --> Incubation -->Birth
During intimacy there is a deposit of seed. I can only conceive and eventually give birth spiritually if my spiritual “womb” (or heart) receives the seed of the Word of God. Sadly, when a relationship is dying, there is less and less desire for intimacy. This is often the case when we become luke-warm and compromise as Christians. We lose our first-love for the Lord and we no longer pursue intimacy with Him. We must seek after God with passion. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jer 29:13)
From intimacy comes passion and from passion, intimacy. One begets the other.
Another beneficial spiritual exercise is to,
Stretch Yourself to Become
Stretch yourself to become everything that God desires for you. The Apostle Paul said, “...I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Php 3:12 NIV)
Athletes do stretching exercises – Christians need to stretch themselves. May I ask you, “Are you comfortable or are you stretching?”
We ought to have the mind-set: “I want to be the best me I can be!” To this end we can get filled with faith, hope and boldness by prophesying to ourselves using Scripture. In this way we are letting God define our borders. Our thinking tends to be boxed-in and limited. Indeed, Scripture tells us this:"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9 NIV). However, the very next verse sets the balance saying, ”…but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1Co 2:10 NIV)
Finally,
Focus On Your Goal or Calling
“So let’s keep focussed on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.” (Php 3:14 MSG)
To get to a destination requires planning as well as effort and application. Truth be told, we can get lost along the way. Having put our hands to the plough, Jesus warns us not to look back. "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luk 9:62 NIV)
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (Pro 4:25-27 NIV)
We need to learn to live in the moment (not in yesterday, not in tomorrow).
We can live existentially or intentionally. Let’s choose to live intentionally. There are some whose hearts have no vision or passion for what they are busy with now. Their hearts are elsewhere. It’s time to start living with passion and whole-heartedness in the now. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col 3:23-24 NIV)
Each day you can fulfil a part of your destiny. Indeed, one’s destiny unfolds one day at a time.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16 NIV)
Wrapping It Up
There is a calling on the life of every Christian.
We need to position ourselves to see and attune our ears to hear God’s call.
We need to get out of our comfort zones and allow God to stretch us. Only then will we begin to fulfill God’s calling on our lives.
Let’s get out of cruise mode and seek God with passion. By the Spirit, let’s find what God wants us to do in 2022!
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