Just My Calling, Please

Good morning! We all have a calling from God. No problem, most of us realize that, but what happens when we try to do something that is not in our calling? The struggle may cause despair to grow in us. That is, if I try to do something that seems to be a good and godly work, such as preaching sermons on Sunday mornings, but I am not made by God for that calling, the strain can become too much for me. God strengthens and trains us for our respective callings, but His strength may be lacking in those endeavors you and I are not called to perform. I am not trying to give any of us an excuse for not helping out around the church. Every church has many tasks that are not callings, but chores and we can all help out there. Callings align with the gifts of the Spirit. Teaching, for example, is not a chore that anyone can do when it needs doing. Teaching requires preparation, reading of the Word, prayer, and a calling from God.

But, despair is not the only enemy of our good works. Pride may come when a ministry is successful, but not a calling from God. Many an evangelist has built up a popular following, raised up funds to build larger churches and finally reached the point of national television ministry. The money pours in, the minister receives speaking invitations, some may be saved by Christ, but the minister sits back and says to himself, "Look what I have built!" The work itself was not wrong, but perhaps that man was never called by God to be a pastor at all. God could see the potential for pride that comes with fame, acclaim, and lots o' loot, and called the man to what pride would tell us is a lesser calling. Instead, the man wanted to be one of those preacher men on television, and he succeeded. A preaching ministry, when called by God, is actually an antidote to pride. The minister called by God is on-call 24/7x365. His Sunday sermon is bisected and dissected by the armchair Bible scholars. Self-elected pundits and critics will come forward to let him know everything he did wrong and what he should do better in every aspect of his life. And let us not get started on what the world will bring to bear on that preacher from that little church on the hill. A calling from God is not a call to a life of ease and smooth sailing.

We cannot perform our own calling well without the strength of God at work in us. Trying to do more than what God created each of us to do in His kingdom brings stress that we do not need. God may let us go to fail in our own abilities, or worse, let us succeed until pride overwhelms. Today, just my calling, please, dear Lord. The work you have set before me is enough to prove my need for your strength and guidance. Teach me to be content with what I have in you. Amen.

Bucky