Several months ago, I was asked to speak at a church in Houston about being called by God. As I prayed and researched, I wanted to share with you what the Lord has taught me.
1. AS BELIEVERS, WE ARE ALL CALLED TO GLORIFY GOD.
Isaiah 43:7 states, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made.” Through this verse, we see these 3 things:
You are called by our God who formed you. Just as one of my favorite Psalms says, “You were knitted together in your mother’s womb and you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Your Creator delights in you, His precious child. Just bask in that truth for a minute.
Later in the New Testament, 1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light". Our job is not to build ourselves up, but to make God look good.
Now when God calls us, He asks us to complete different assignments for different amounts of time. A lot of times, He calls us to do something completely out of our comfort zone.
2. GOD OFTEN CALLS THE UNQUALIFIED.
2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient for us because HE is made strong in our weaknesses. If it was all about us, we would get the glory. Instead, God asks us to give Him our weaknesses and our trust, and He makes the mountains move. Then- HE gets the glory!
In Judges chapter 6, we see Gideon, who came from an undistinguished family, and he gets a visit from an angel of the Lord who tells him that God is with him. At the time of this encounter, he is literally sitting on the floor threshing wheat and basically hiding from his enemies. The angel of the Lord tells him that he's a mighty warrior. I can so relate to Gideon as he responds to the angel, “Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” He doesn’t understand how he could be called to be God’s warrior when things are so tough. Yet, God sees in Gideon more than Gideon can see himself.
In Exodus 4, when God is giving Moses his next assignment to go to pharaoh and ask for freedom for the Israelites, Moses begins to argue with God and ask Him why he should go. God asks him to throw his staff on the ground and it becomes a snake, and Moses actually runs from it. This is not a man equipped for battle, but thankfully God sees his heart, and patiently pursues him more.
Later, when Amos shares about his assignment, he says, “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the lord took me as I followed the flock, and the lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to My people Israel.” Amos 7:14-15 Again, we see a man that is ill-equipped, has no training, has no family training, and yet God told him to go!
Personally, I relate to all of these stories. When Rick and I met at A&M and later got married, we spent the beginning years of our lives together really focused on our careers. I got my undergrad and Masters in Education and Rick got his undergrad, Masters, CPA, and his CFA. When God called Rick to make wooden crosses in the garage, and me to help start the business, we were not even close to being equipped, and yet we knew God was calling us out in the waters.
To the rest of the world, this seemed downright ridiculous. I remember people asking, Rick, “So you are going to look for another job, right?" They were stunned when he replied, “No.” "Well, at least you are going to claim unemployment?" "Not going to do that either." “Well, at least, you are going to pull your kids out of private school?" We chose not to do that either. If God was big enough to lead us in RAD JOY, why wouldn’t He big enough to do all of this??? Most people didn’t understand, but Rick I had clarity and we trusted in God’s faithfulness. We are called to lean not on our own understanding but instead trust fully in God. Our true faith often steps in when common sense steps out.
Though unqualified, God uses our weaknesses for HIS name to be glorified.
Other times, God uses our giftings so people can see how good He is.
3. GOD HAS GIVEN US EACH DIFFERENT GIFTS.
So, why do we have different gifts? So that we can use those talents to glorify Him!
1 Corinthians 12: 27 states, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”. We know that our body is made up of many parts, and when one part is not working—we feel it.
Earlier this year, Rick and I began working out, and I pulled a muscle in my back that made it nearly impossible to do anything. I had to have my 8 year old daughter help me put my clothes on- talk about humbling. My muscles would spazz like crazy every time I bent down. This one part of my body that wasn’t working as intended wreaked havoc on me, and as a result, my family too. The Lord says that our church is the body of Christ, and we are each called to do our part. We, (me, you, all of us) need to step up to our assignments because the body of Christ needs us.
I Peter 4:10-11 says “ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen”. Again- let’s use these gifts for GOD’S GLORY!!
Several months ago, our pastor made a striking statement- he told us that we have not been called to volunteer. We were pretty shocked as he was in the middle of sharing about positions in our church that needed to be filled. Instead, he reminded us that we have been placed. I have been placed. You have been placed— in this certain time, in a certain part of the world, with your certain family, in a certain city, in a certain neighborhood. You have been placed by God so that you can use your gifts. The question is not whether or not you have been called, it’s whether or not you will be obedient.
So, as we step forward in obedience, let's remember these 3 things!
Would love to hear how God is using your strengths and/or weaknesses to glorify Him!
