Our Spiritual Calling: A Call to Action and A Confirmation of Our Purpose
There is something to be said about being called to do something.
The word call or calling has been jumping out to me lately, and going along with my previous post about leaning into these things, Deciphering Godly Themes and Messages In Our Lives. I want to dig a little deeper and explore some of the verses that are related to our calling.
What does it mean to be called to do something?
Merriam-Webster defines a calling as, "a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence"
The Oxford Dictionary refers to a calling as a way of life, career or vocation.
So a calling is a strong desire or urge to pursue a certain way of life.
Essentially it is our way to be, or way to live.
Fueled by conviction and confirmation from God.
So that being said, the one verse that really stands out to me is 1 Thessalonians 5:24:
"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."
I want to back up and look at this verse more in the context of what's going on in 1 Thessalonians 5, and then look are more verses in 1 &2 Thessalonians that talk about our calling.
Paul is giving his final instructions and exhortations to the Thessolonians. He has just told them that God will sanctify them through and through, and that they will remain blameless until the coming of Jesus.
That God will fulfill all the promises He's made to them.
God will fulfill all the promises He's made to you.
The one that has called you, sought you out, selected and hand-picked you is faithful.
Faithful to do what?
Let's look at the other verses in 1 Thessolonians that talk about our calling specifically:
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12
He is faithful to call us into His kingdom and glory.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1 Thessalonians 4:7
He is faithful to call us to a holy life.
While we're at it, we might as well look at this word in 2 Thessalonians as well.
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11
He is faithful to make us worthy, and faithful to bring to fruition every desire for goodness and every deed prompted by faith (whoa!)
14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14
He is faithful to have us share in the glory of the Lord.
The calling He has placed on our lives is very much the same, but the way we live out our calling is different. Let me explain.
He has called you to His Kingdom, to take part as the church of Christ. On a broad scale we know that we are called to make disciples of nations.... spreading the gospel and the message of Jesus Christ to all that we can!
This looks different for everyone, how we share and spread the good news of Jesus to others depends on who we are and what we do.
What often hinders our ability to live out our calling and purpose in life is ourselves.
We are indeed our own worst critics and are own worst enemies. Conversely we are also our own biggest fans and can minimize our own faults based on our level of humility (or lack thereof!)
I want to bring us back to my message on the High Call of our Holy Confidence, Confidence to Serve, it is from the Holy Spirit inside of us that we are able to heed or follow the call and take that next step. Our conviction and confirmation is what enables us to serve others through the proclamation of the Gospel in our own lives.
The way we live out our calling and work out our salvation looks different for everyone.
It is not in our fleshly or human abilities, or understanding that we can live out our high calling, it is only through the power Christ within us that we are able to stand firm on what He has called us to do and equipped us for.
So when we don't know what we should do, or what it looks like to live holy or rest in His faithfulness, we ask, and let the Holy Spirit inside of us lead us and direct us.
That's my challenge to us as Spirit-filled believer's. Are you willing to seek the Holy Spirit to lead you into the purpose that He has for you?
The one who is faithful will do it.
Do what.... Pray and seek the Lord for His direction and guidance and I am confident that He will reveal what that "it" means for you.
Once we know what "it", is, we can continue to live out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), even in the face of opposition.
That will be the focus of my next post friends, living out our calling and purpose no matter what the cost, and no matter what we come up against!