A Life Worthy Of The Calling God

“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” There it is folks, it’s right here in black and white. If God has called us, He will equip us to accomplish it. That takes so much pressure off of us. Once you can step into that truth, you simply have to open your eyes and look back over your life. Ask yourself: what have you consistently done well? What do you love to do? With that answer in mind, go do it! Do what you love to do and use that to bring glory to your creator. So many of us know that we have a gift. Weather that gift is crunching numbers, creating short-films, baking the perfect cake, or teaching a class of screaming kids on a weekly basis, we mostly know that we have a gift of some kind. That is only the first step though, and it’s unfortunately where so many people stop. As Lucado says: “We accept the gift, but ignore the giver. We promote self. We parade up and down the isle ‘Hey look at me!’ When we centerstage our selves and don't give a lick about God… dare we expect anything short of chaos? He entrusts us with gifts, so that we can make Him known.” What it all boils down to is one pretty powerful thought, and that is this, He endows us with gifts so that we can make Him known. Period. Every person on the face of this planet has been given something to do to show who God

In considering how the call to be a Christian lead to a transformed life imparts knowledge, understanding which give you discernment for the other two callings because it is all connected as a whole. Answering the first call of being born again is the biggest transformation of humanity. Being transformed is much more than changing behaviors or turning over a new leaf, it is all about renewing your mind to fulfill God's call and purpose in life. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2 (English Standard Version). When I received Christ into my life, my heart (spirit) became one with God, actually transpired; therefore, was a real spiritual transformation from spiritual death to life. Our life becomes one with God. "But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him" 1 Corinthians 6:17 (English Standard Version). That is why the scriptures are so essential for our life; because it is the Word of God. Christians are born of the Word of God which give everlasting life, which is by the Spirit

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, therefore a predetermined path of righteousness or condemnation is contradictory to the core values of Christianity, as it eliminates the need for the will to be saved by Christ. This shows that God does not control our actions, in hopes that we live in accordance to him.

The one thing many people do not talk about is vocation. Gordon T. Smith declares there are three different forms of vocation. First is the general call which is the invitation to follow Christ. Second is the specific call, this is unique to each person and can be classified as their mission in this world. Third is the immediate responsibilities; these are the task God requires of us daily (p. 10). As a Christian, one's vocation is their response to God; their call is to serve Him in life and reflect who He is to others, no matter the stage of life they are in or the occupations they are call to pursue. Occupations may change through life, but the vocational call remains consistent despite the

I must find my calling if I am to truly live my life to the fullest and to live out God’s plan for my life. God is the only one who can help me find my purpose. He has had a plan for my life long before I was even born and that God has a purpose for me that no one else could fulfill. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11” (NIV). This means that no matter what I do as long as I am in accordance with God’s will, everything will turn out for the best in the end. God has promised to give me hope and a future and to bless my life. “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, Ephesians 2:10” (NIV). With this knowledge I know that God has created me exactly the way I should be and that he has given me talents and skills enough to do all he asks of me to do.

God has a unique purpose for each and every one of us. Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget what our purpose is in life, but God has a way of guiding

In chapters 4-6 of Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller, Keller focuses on the frustration and fruitlessness of work. He even set it up perfectly in chapter four saying "something can be a vocation or calling only if some other party calls you to do it, and you do it for their sake rather than your own.” In most cases, our callings do not add up with what we had hoped for our lives. I have met so many people who are in ministry school or new in ministry who had plans to be in the medical field, but God called them to kids ministry. Back in high school, I had a mentor who ended up choosing an internship at a church, that would lead up to her directing a ministry school, over medical school at Oklahoma State University. Being called by God to

"Sit down and look at your choices, blocking out all the voices of distraction, so that you can clearly see God's plan of good work in action for your life." ~ Jon Barnes

This statement sums up the whole focus of my life. All other priorities, concerns, and pursuits of mine stem from or are secondary to the commandments and teachings of this church. My future is in God’s hands, my passion to follow Him, and my desire to align my will with His. Contrary to what some may think, this doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t work hard and plan ahead. Instead, I believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do, having a mindset that is open to counsel from Him.

The Book of Job dives into the life of a blessed and faithful man in which his life takes an unsuspecting turn. From the loss of property and loved ones, to only be accused of wickedness by friends as the explanation of this calamity that has befallen Job. Author J. Gerald Janzen, whose personal struggle has opened a corridor that creates a connection with the life of Job takes us on a walk with Job through his journey from prosperity, to loss and bitterness then into the presence of God. At the Scent of Water will open our mind to the possibility of hope and grace to anyone who has gone through suffering in the past or is going through times of difficulty in the presence.

In the Outward Focused Life by Dave Workman, he covers and explains many topics and ideas regarding Christianity. He also guides you through how to become a better Christian and what your are suppose to do to help others and serve God. The main point of this book is how to be a servant to God, instead of serving yourself. A couple other points discussed is how to surrender to God and let him transform you and also through out the book Workman talks about different stories about people giving to others and God gives to them. Although its not just about giving to yourself.

Isaiah 43:21 reveals God’s purpose in creating us; to give Him praise through worship. As a leader/minister, preaching the gospel, teaching, providing an environment conducive to growth and flourishing, reproducing the character of Christ, and leading others to worship and delight of God is my real responsibility. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the ages.”

Above, when we talked about our “purpose”, I know for a fact that God has a specific purpose for each person, but personally I am unsure of exactly what that is. I do not know if I am on the correct path to what God wants me to do, but I am trying to be more conscious as I get older to try to ask God what I should be doing

Paul begins his statement in 4:1 to the Ephesians by stating his imprisonment (As a prisoner for the Lord) before saying anything else. It seems as though Paul is saying this to show that he is literally living and dying for the sake of Jesus Christ and that he knows what they as believers are going through. He may be saying this as a form of encouragement to the church in Ephesus because he is physically in prison, but he is still doing everything he can to glorify God and make Jesus Christ known. Paul could have been using a double meaning or figure of speech when he wrote this because he was both “a prisoner of Christ and a prisoner for Christ, both bound to him by the chains of love and in custody out of loyalty to his gospel” (Stott 146). Then Paul exhorts the believers in Ephesus to live according to what God has commanded them at salvation. We should notice that he uses past tense when he writes the calling you have received. This is to emphasize that he is not referring to each

God expects us to live in likeness of him; however we are still accountable and will be held responsible for our actions and decisions. We must hear God’s word, believe, repent (turn from which that is wrong), confess and be baptized in order to be saved. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come," (2 Cor. 5:17). This means that God actually lives in the person and the Christian then experiences a true and living relationship with God. In being a Christian you belong to Christ; you are saved through Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many people call themselves a Christian and do not have a personal relationship with Christ. The bible makes reference to this in (Revelation 3:1-6).