Dear friends,
The advent of telephone technology, and later the Internet made the word “call” a mainstream in our society. In the Bible, what does it mean to be called by God?
Let me share four things:
C – Call comes from God.
In Ephesians 4:11-13 Paul wrote that “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers…” In other verses, Paul mentioned also other gifts that God has bestowed to people. This means that God continually calls people according to their gifts.
What is the purpose of the calling? Paul continued “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
A – Accept the call of God.
God calls but we have to respond to it. For example, we can in the story of Jonah that God called him to preach in Nineveh but he refused to accept it.
He said no to God and ran away. This is the same with some of us. We ran away when God calls us. This is because we have a choice. But then God is persistent. God through a big fish got Jonah, and he eventually went to Nineveh. God will always find a way to remind us of our call.
We will always have a choice. But the best choice is always to follow the command of God.
L – Learn how to do the call of God.
Paul wrote to Timothy to remind him that after he has accepted the call of God, he must learn how to fulfill the calling of God.
2 Timothy 2:15 is also a reminder for us – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
L – Love and live out the call of God.
One great example of a person who lived out the call of God despite the odds is Ezekiel.
Imagine the content of his call – Ezekiel 2:4-5 “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen–for they are a rebellious house–they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Who among us can readily say “yes” if you will be sent to obstinate and stubborn people? Probably not all of us. But Ezekiel gave us a great example.
We must live out your calling from God even though the people will not listen. This is because all of us will someday be accountable in front of God.
Sincerely,
Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on