Do you ever look back or the past few years and it is like you can see puzzle pieces that linked together to bring you where you are today?
Maybe you absolutely love your job and you can’t believe that you landed it. Or maybe you are in a relationship with someone that is such a blessing and you feel so fortunate to be a couple with them. Maybe you always had a hobby that you enjoyed but never considered as more than that and it has turned into a full time job! Many times a small step in the direction of a passion or interest, ends up taking us to a place that is absolutely wonderful and uniquely us.
Do you know that seeking God and taking a small step in His direction can also lead you to a place to minister and serve? There are so many messages, lessons, videos on finding God’s calling for your life. I do believe that God may profoundly impress on you what He wants you to do, but what if you just don’t know and you haven’t felt that distinct impression?
Recently, I was listening to a sermon while I was on my drive to work. I would like to say that I always pay 100% of my attention to Bible readings, sermons, teachings and books that I listen to on my commute but I am often distracted by other drivers, the list of things going through my head about work, about home, the things that I need to pack for that trip, the laundry that I need to be sure and throw in when I get home and so on. But as I was driving and listening and being distracted a few words cut through the brain fog and met my ears, “You don’t have to seek your calling.”
What?
Yes, those are the exact words that the preacher said.
What? Wait a minute! We are all here to serve, being called is what it’s all about! Right?
I was getting myself pretty excited about this and was already preparing to get to work and do some searching on BibleGateway.com to prove him wrong.
Then I continued listening. And you know what? He made a perfectly excellent point.
We don’t have to seek a calling because God has given us so much direction on how to act, what to focus on, the attributes that we should strive to have, the people who we should love and minister to, the testimony that we should have. If we focus on doing all the things that God has instructed us to do and make that a priority every day, then our calling will come to us.
So, just as in other parts of our life, we can stand where we are and see how things worked to take us from one step to the next to get us here, don’t we believe that God can takes us through similar steps to get us where He wants us to be. And like the steps that took us to the right job, and the right relationship, with us learning and growing with each opportunity, God also will shape us and prepare us to be the perfect __________ that He wants us to be.
I believe that even if we only have today left of our lifetime on earth, God has a use for us. It may be showing His strength in illness, taking the opportunity to reach that hard hearted relative that has let his guard down next to your sickbed. It may be an interaction with a coworker where you express your trust in God over a house buying decision, it may be any little thing, but if we practice being what God has instructed us to be, each interaction, whether first or last could touch someone eternally.
My sister in law Kathleen died on April 26th of this year. She was walking in a 5K for a local fundraiser. She and her friends who were walking together decided to sprint the last bit to cross the finish line. She took three steps and collapsed. She had a heart attack and died. She was 48. I cannot begin to tell you how many people told me stories of comments and conversations from that evening. All of them talked about her smiling and laughing and encouraging others during the course of the race. As time passed and the funeral was held at the end of the week. There were stories upon stories about the impact that Kathleen had on so many lives. The line was constant for nearly two hours and the large church was full. All of the stories made me so proud, but none of them surprised me.
You see, when Kathleen became a Christian when she was dating my bother in college, she pursued her life in Christ, the way that she did everything, with gusto! From the beginning, she started reading her Bible and learning the ways that she should live as a follower of Christ. I would find it hard to believe if anyone who spoke with her for more than a couple of minutes didn’t sense her kindness, love, gentleness, and sweetness. She may not say in those two minutes that she was a Christian and wanting to testify about her faith, because she didn’t have to. She was living it, every day, in every facet of her life. She had no idea that she would leave this world that Friday night, but she made such an impression on all of us, by striving to live like Christ. She had a strong ministry in music with adults at church as well as children in the position of an elementary school music teacher.
Kathleen took many steps to get to this position, teaching music at the local elementary school, and do you know, it was so evident that this was where God wanted her because she didn’t even apply for the position. The school called her! She had been faithful in small things and opportunities along the way teaching private lessons, leading a children’s choir at church, teaching Kindermusic in the community as God prepared her and set things in motion for this position. She didn’t even have the exact education credentials but the school offered her the job and allowed her time to get her teaching degree (she already had a degree in Music). Her reputation of being talented and skilled in music along with her kind and sweet disposition made her the person who they wanted!
Let us all work to be like Christ. As we read the Bible, may we always seek to instill the qualities that have been set forth for us into our lives. May we also be aware of the opportunities that come our way and surrender to following the pieces that God sets before us while we continue to seek Him. Someday, we will be in a place that feels like the exact right place to be ministering in a way that couldn’t feel more perfect and we will look back and see how everything worked together to bring us there.
Ephesians 5: 1-2 and 15-20
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord-
Be with us and help us to continue growing in our faith and walk with You. Please help us to trust You with the plan that you have for us now and the call that You have for us in the future. May we be patient and know that each step is to teach us and lead us to the next. I also want to thank You for those friends and family members who walk beside us encouraging and supporting us along the way. What a blessing they are. It is in Your precious name that I pray.
Amen