A QUALIFIED CALLING
J.S. Taylor
Today’s Scripture: “Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” Genesis 47:7, ESV
Theme: Continue to make yourself available for God’s use and glory.
THIS IS "IT"
At some point in the past few years of my life, I realized that this is “it.” It’s no longer a “dress rehearsal” (if it ever was) in preparation for some imagined better life. I’m not always sure how I got here, but here I am. In many ways, life certainly hasn’t gone the way I had hoped it would. The worldly achievements - position, prestige, power - for which I have so often strived turned out to be just an illusion of enduring satisfaction. The imagery of one reaching for the ultimate prize flower, only to have it wither as you grasp it, is vivid and oftentimes all too true. My anticipation of what I considered to be sterling achievements ultimately turned out to be empty and disappointing.
But through God’s grace, I learned to accept who and where I am, and surrender to Him. I found that this life is but a journey, not a destination. As believers, our ultimate destination is beyond this life. As Paul states in his letter to the church at Ephesus: God has “seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesian 2:6b, NIV). And for that, I can be eternally grateful to my Lord.
CALLING
Paul also writes to us: “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). I have often felt that I wasn’t good enough – professionally, athletically, relationally, intellectually, spiritually...the list goes on. Essentially, I felt I was a fraud, and I especially felt I was well-short of the spirituality needed for Christian work. I felt unworthy. I could relate to Brennan Manning as he puts it so poignantly that he was a ragamuffin “disciple whose cheese fell off his crackers so many times, he said to (heck) with cheese and crackers” (All Is Grace).
If you look at the characters in the Bible, it’s an extensive parade of people who seemingly fall short. And many don’t finish well. In fact, the majority don’t. Even those such as Solomon, who basked in the blessings of lavish, spectacular riches and astonishing God-granted wisdom, ultimately came to a less than auspicious end.
But God used all of them to His purposes, even if but for season. Many were seemingly unremarkable; misfits at best. But as has been said: “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called” (Mark Batterson). It shows me that God is sovereign, exudes grace ,and can use me wherever I am for His purposes, even if only for a time - if I am willing to let go of my ambitions and trust Him. This realization motivates me to make myself available to serve God in whatever way or capacity God has in store for me. If I daily try to pursue my life’s calling to be a follower of Jesus, I can experience a progressive victory in Christ.
COURAGE
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.”- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
All too often, I can ruminate on the past and obsess over the future, at the expense of the riches of God’s present. What might have been? What could it become? These things pose a distraction which can prevent me from living in the present - fully engaged, conscious of God’s love and provision. I can miss the opportunities to serve God today.
But also, fear can creep in and be an impediment to God’s calling. Wanting to be comfortable, to be socially acceptable, to not rock the boat, and avoid the sometimes-painful path of the counter-cultural way of Christ, can cause me to fear what God may have in store and cast a self-inflicted shadow over His glory and love. As Steve Brown has said “We can’t always live on the mountaintop. To get there - and I might add, to get down – we are required to walk through some dark valleys.”
And so, I have to summon the courage that God provides me to walk through the dark valleys, even sometimes in the face of evil, so I can be used for the divine appointment I have in His plan.
CONFIDENCE
“And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then... So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day,” (Joshua 14:10b-11a, 12a, ESV).
Caleb had confidence in God. He had endured much hardship – he had persevered through the travails of 40 years in the wilderness. Yet he had remained faithful throughout and knew that God would fulfill his promise. Am I as confident in God as Caleb was? Do I have the willingness to be available to follow God’s calling, no matter what the cost? Have I the courage and the fortitude to follow the way of Jesus?
Make It Personal: I have to ask God to take my will, my worries, my distractions away, one day at time, if I am going to be available for His work. I have come to realize that, as Christ said, His yoke is much lighter. As the old hymn goes:
“Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise.
Let them flow in endless praise.”
(“Take My Life” music and lyrics by Frances R. Havergal)
God provides me a path towards His blessings and rewards if I am willing to trust him. Can I remain a servant, an apprentice, and a disciple dedicated to a pursuit of God’s purpose for my life?
Pray: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” - Ephesians 3:20-21
Read: Isaiah 43:1-2
Weekly Memory Verse: “...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 6:1, NIV