God's Calling For Your Life

Our church is in a sermon series called “Don’t waste your 2014. Pastor Sammy Adebiyi gave a stirring sermon (listen here- "Invest" January 26, 2014) which centered on Ephesians 2:10:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

He reminded us that God created each of us with a purpose. Our life is no mistake. We have been placed at this place, and this time, with these circumstances, and with these people for a reason. That reason is that we have a job to do and God invites us to participate in his mission to love others and tell others about how much the God of the Universe loves them.

Sometimes this work is painful and difficult. Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen, has been tortured in horrendous Iranian prisons since the summer of 2012 simply for being a Christian (to read more about Pastor Saeed, or to sign a petition asking for his clemency, click here). As far as the apostles in the Bible who witnessed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, all but one is believed to have died as martyrs by beheading, stoning, crucifixion, stabbing, burning, etc.  Blessed to live in a country that allows freedom of religion and speech, we are unlikely to be martyred. However, our work can be wrought with pain and difficulty as we speak opinions and make choices that are not in line with the world or as we pour our lives into relationships that cause hurt.

Sometimes, however, the work is full of joy and blessing. I am continually reminded of this through my involvement with Young Life, a ministry that uses volunteer leaders (mostly college age) to reach out to high school students and introduce them to a God who loves them unconditionally. This ministry is so dear to me because it is how God chose to finally reach my own heart and it has introduced me to my husband and many of my closest friends. Now, George and I serve on the Adult Committee in West Toledo, supporting the staff and the volunteer leaders. Saturday we were fortunate to be able to attend a Young Life conference. In the afternoon we sat in a room with many other adult committee members from the North Coast region. Even as we discussed challenges to the ministry, we were able to laugh and fellowship with each other because this work is fun and meaningful and useful.

We also we able to hear from Jerry Leachman, a former NFL player and current spiritual counselor to many politicians and influential people in Washington, DC. He discussed an idea called “The Way of the Path.” This biblically supported concept states that we are all on a path and that path determines where our lives will end up. If we are unwilling to do the work that we have been called and commanded to do by God at this point in our lives, we find ourselves on a path that if not corrected, will not lead to the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt 25:21). The decision to not spend time today praying to God and reading His Word will not lead to closer relationship with him. The decision to not reach out to others in need will not likely lead to a life marked by unconditional love. The decision to not share God’s love and redemption with those around you, will not likely lead to a heavenly eternity surrounded by those unbelieving loved ones—at least not because of anything you’ve done.

We can spend today, this month, this year, or our entire lives doing work that we have designed for ourselves to do and it might lead to a good end—a good retirement, a few decades of compliments on our gardens, our medals, or our physical beauty, a beautiful casket, a lot of people at our funeral. Or we can spend today, this month, this year or our entire lives doing work that leads to eternal rewards.

You’ve come to a crossroads on your path. Which path will you take? Which destination do you seek? What is your first step on that path? Perhaps you have never put much thought into your own relationship with God and your first step is to open the bible that you got when you were 8. I suggest Matthew, chapter 1, or my favorite bible story 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 . Perhaps you need to invest more time in your children, starting with playing a game with them today. Perhaps you should make that phone call you have been meaning to make, or start that application, or write that first blog post.  Perhaps you need to take an hour today and just pray and ask that God would make clear what work he has for you or what path you should take.

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