So many times I have wondered what my specific purpose or calling in life was…so many directions have I gone…so many doors have been shut…and some opened….so many desires remain on my heart over decades….many times I have looked at my life: my gifts, my talents, my journey…and many times have I pondered and even seemed convinced of my calling!
Here, I have pressed into my Heavenly Father. Here I have learned to depend fully on Him. Here I have learned that He is everything. Here I have learned that it is all about His timing and His purpose and His Kingdom. Here, I am learning to follow Him, to fall in love with Him, and to love Him above anything else–dreams, desires, understanding. Here, I have learned to rejoice for others, to support others, to encourage others. Here, I have learned to be insignificant. It is in this place I am learning to truly love, to truly follow, to have a purity of purpose for Him. It is in this place I am learning what real humility is.
The Lord has revealed to me my calling. This is a calling for every believer, so I guess that doesn’t make me too special! 🙂 But, it is in this calling, this purpose, where, when I am obedient, I follow the perfect path He has laid out for me “before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:3-4)
I don’t have to worry about my calling! I don’t have to be concerned about missing my calling. I don’t have to worry about what steps to take to prepare my heart for my calling. I don’t have to have any agendas, any goals, except that which to follow Christ in each and every situation (the goals/purposes that He sets for me). I don’t have to worry about any unity in my calling (God will take care of that 😉 ). I can be certain of one thing…THIS is my calling:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
God has CHOSEN me (and you!)-before the foundation of the world-to be His holy child. He has called me to holiness. He has called me out of darkness (I am often aware of what I have been called out of…and often reminded…) into His wonderful light. The Lord often reminds me of this-to walk in His light…it is a new path…an unknown one…a path He is revealing to me every day. He has done all this SO THAT I CAN DECLARE THE PRAISES OF HIM!!! THIS IS MY CALLING! I shall praise Him and thank Him and turn to Him all day long. God has given us mercy; He is mercifully changing and transforming my heart and the hearts of my family.
It is painful to be rejected. But, we were chosen. I want to walk in that light of being chosen. Not more special than other children of God…but chosen for a special purpose for Him. I am set apart to be holy and pleasing to Him. And He will not have it any other way. But, I have to choose obedience in my calling, my purpose. Isn’t it such a relief to know that this is all we have to do each day? Only one thing is needed. To sit at His feet and praise Him in whatever is needed to serve Him and adore Him that day. It will look different each day and in different seasons…but as long as my heart is praising Him and thanking Him…the rest will flow smoothly and I will be living out my purpose in each and every day.
The end state is known only to Him. If I fix my heart on any particular calling, I might lose sight of following Him and loving Him above all else.
“If you will praise Him, God promises to give supernatural joy in spite of difficult circumstances.” -Returning to Holiness: A Personal and Churchwide Journey to Revival
This is where my joy comes from. This is what I was created to do: to praise Him and serve Him and enjoy Him. And this is the path to Holiness. He does all the work, I simply obey in each moment, confessing to Him my unfaithfulness, and praising Him for His love and faithfulness all the while. It won’t be easy, but as the pastor said to us this morning, becoming Holy isn’t anything we can achieve ourselves…so there is no burden in that…it is simply a love and obedience to Christ. If we are willing, He is able.
Walking in Faith 