To Be Called

This evening I recieved a phone call from a very good friend of mine. Although I wasn’t able to speak to him for one reason or another, I have enjoyed many great conversations with this friend in the past. So, the call assured me that we were still communicating. I can remember so vividly my adolescent years as I transitioned from elementary school into what was then, junior high school (now it is refered to as middle school). I knew a guy, yeah that’s it, A GUY, who had the biggest crush on this girl in the seventh grade. Since he was in seventh grade and she was too, to him, it seemed like a perfect match. Through several months of intense selfish prayer times, numerous notes that were written, but thrown in the trash before he could ever give them to her, and many dropped books as she walked by him in the hallway, he finally had the opportunity to talk to her. The talking led to stumbling words, the stumbling words led to the flood letting loose from his sweat glands, and the sweat led to cold shivers. I…..I mean “this guy” was in his moment. He did everything he said he wouldn’t do and didn’t want to do, but one thing happened that he would never forget, she asked him for his phone number. Since he was so nervous, it took him about 5 minutes to remember it, and once he remembered it, it took his brain about 10 minutes to make the connection that he was supposed to write it down. It actually wasn’t that bad, but you get my point. The entire conversation and number exchange occured with “Major Disaster” written all over it. He thought, there is no way she will call him back after this loser of a performance. So, for the next few days, this guy sat by the phone just waiting for it to ring. He was even tempted to pick it up himself and call her, but decided he should wait for her call since it was her idea. To make an even longer story short, this guy waited two days by the phone, answering every call after just one ring. Finally, on the third day, she called him and thus started a beautiful 7th grade romance that entailed, football games, cheasy dances, and dates to the movies, where their parents would drive them.

As I can so clearly remember, “My Friend”, waiting to receive a call from this girl that he like, it reminded me about the calling of God. The calling of God is perfect, timely, unsinkable, life giving, humbling, and it is always on time. I remember when I first started to get serious about God. This was right before I graduated high school in 1998. I can remember so clearly, knowing God’s voice that was calling me to a life change. I know that God would have preferred me to give my life to him earlier in life, but if i did, would my life have turned out different? I have no earthly idea. I guess I am a firm believer that God not only has perfect timing for everything, but He also has a reason for everything that He does, or doesn’t do. Once I received my calling to repentance and forgiveness, I received a calling into ministry to show other people the same love that God had just shown me. I was called to preach the gospel!

“To be called” is three fold in these two brief synopsis’. First, the calling of God to the cross. This is for every single person on the face of the planet. God has a desire for every person to hear his voice, and answer his call to the cross. Every person is called to be a follower of Christ. It just so happens to be their choice to hear that voice and follow it! But we are all called. Second, is the calling to share this love with those who don’t know Him (this is called ministry). The word ministry in the Greek is “Diakoniva” which means, the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection. In other words, those who are believers should show the same affection to others, that Christ has shown us. Let me put it bluntly, if you are a born again Christian, you are a minister of the gospel. The third calling, is that of the vocational minister. This is the person who has sensed a special calling on his/her life to devote every moment of it, to sharing the gospel, and investing in people spiritually. This is a vocational move and a desire to minister at another level on a continual basis.

It doesn’t matter who you are, God has some form of calling on your life. Those who are not believers, God is calling you to the cross to experience his mercy and love. Those who are believers in Christ, he has called you to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Live it, breath it, say it and demonstrate it. Then there are those who are believers, but have a special calling on their lives to be a pastor, evangelist, etc. To those who are called to vocational ministry, let me give you one piece of advice, MAKE SURE YOU ARE CALLED!

“To be called” is a priveledge, not a right, a priveledge. Just like the guy in the seventh grade. This girl was way out of his league and he knew that. He just had a huge crush on her. After she called him, he realized what a priveledge it was to be talking to her at that moment, when she could have been talking to any other guy she wanted to. In the same way, when God calls, us to the cross, to share his love with others in life, and to devote your life to the ministry, when have to understand that His calling is a privledge, not a right. In fact, our only right is eternity away from God. That is our right as a result of sin. I guess, that’s why His calling is a privledge!

My thought to you this day is, what is God calling you to? Where do you and God stand today, what is he trying to tell you and where does he want to take you? God is calling you, the real question today is, are you listening and following Him?