“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
God calls, God prepares and God sends. That pattern is clear in the Bible. But it is not something just for the famous Bible characters. God has called us all to some purpose in the kingdom. We all have a place and purpose. He calls us to it, He prepares us for it, and then He sends us to fulfill it. It may not be leading thousands of people from the bondage of sin, but perhaps one or two by sharing the Gospel with a friend. It may not be traveling a great distance to preach to those who have never heard about Jesus, but perhaps gently preaching to your children through the Christ-like example that you are living each day. Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family) said “Values are caught they are not taught.” It is not the Bible story that you read at night as much as it is how you conduct yourself during the day. When I was with Promise Keepers we had a saying .. “you can’t lead where you won’t go. You can’t teach what you don’t know. And you can only recreate what you are.” God must prepare you for His purpose for you. The starting point of preparation, of course, is salvation. But the journey is sanctification and walking by faith. He may very well take you through the fiery furnace … or through a raging storm at sea … but it will always be for a spiritual purpose. A.W. Tozer said “God does not use a man (person) greatly, until they have been hurt deeply.” Part of our preparation will undoubtedly be personal trials.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” – James 1:2-8
Often times we think of calling only in terms of missionaries – pastors – teachers – evangelists. And some are called to fulfill those roles in the Church – the Body of Christ. But we all have purpose in the Body. An Elgin axiom – “The darker the night – the brighter the light.” A little light can be seen from a long distance. I can remember flying in the desert on a moonless night. You could barely tell the difference from the sky and the ground. Then someone on the ground would break a “chem-stick” and I could see that tiny light from a great distance. Your light may only be bright enough to fill a room, while others can illuminate a stadium … it doesn’t matter … the source of the light is all the same .. and God will give you sufficient light to accomplish the purpose He has for you. Your job – let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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