Understanding Our Own Calling

A few weeks back I was listening to a message by Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. This was part 2 of his “Crash the Chatterbox” series. In a portion of the message Furtick was talking about how God sees us as individuals with individual talents and specific abilities unique to who we are. At one point, He made a statement that was what I term as a ‘wow’ moment, “We judge our abilities against some elses calling.”

Throughout my life I’ve measured who I was by the standards of a given church, group, association or the world’s view. Instead of understanding my own abilities and the uniqueness of who I am, I strived to meet standards I was never meant to attain. I remember a statement a friend made when talking about how the military grooms leaders. He said, “They teach and train us like every officer will be the next chief of staff. This way the cream will rise to the top and those individuals will be the ones chosen for positions of authority.”

As I typed that I was thinking what a terrible way to run a business. Instead of looking at a persons abilities and potential, they set a standard that only a few could reach.

This is what the world does to us as individuals. It tells women how they should dress, act, what they should weigh, who they should hang out with, etc, etc, etc. It’s no different for men. How about a little less gray hair or need some help in the bedroom, just take this little blue pill…it’s never ending. Instead of pointing out our strengths, they point out our weaknesses and how we can ‘overcome’ who we are so we can meet their standards.

It’s time for us to stop looking to the world for answers and start conversing with the Father. Understanding who I am in Him and what He wants me to do with my life has been the single most freeing thing I have ever experienced. Start talking with Him today about who He says you are and stop listening to the world, it will change your life forever.

Blessings

Understanding Our Own Calling
by Os Hillman

…”If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me.” – John 21:22

Jesus was talking to Peter after he had just had a very important encounter with Him-one of the last meetings the two would have. This was the third time Jesus had shown Himself to the disciples after His resurrection. It is the famous dialogue between Jesus and Peter in which Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Jesus followed by commanding, “Feed My sheep.” Jesus went on to foretell of Peter’s future death. As they were walking together, John was with Peter and Jesus. Peter asked Jesus about John and whether he would die also. Jesus reacted sharply to Peter’s comment, telling him not to worry about what John’s role or purpose was in life. All Peter had to do was worry about fulfilling his own purpose.

As workplace believers we tend to measure our success on whether we have achieved a certain position or stature in life. Even as Christians the temptation to believe that someone is blessed if they have achieved prominence is always confronting us. In His discussion with Peter, Jesus was getting at the very heart of the matter of a person’s calling. Peter was worried about whether his friend John was going to get the same lot in life as he was. Jesus told him it should not be his concern. He was to concern himself only with one thing: his own calling before God.

Are you tempted to compare yourself with where others are in their life? Are you dissatisfied with where God has you right now? Be of good cheer-”[be] confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).