Did You Miss Your Calling?

    Have you ever had someone tell you that you missed your calling in life? Usually they are referring to an ability or talent you have that could have been put to better use in making a living or making a difference in the community or some such thing. Certainly, we all have different abilities which could lead us along different paths in life, if we chose to develop those talents. Some people do make that choice while others don’t, for a variety of reasons. Some folks may have a gift or talent that they have no interest in developing, even though it is extraordinary. However, not all callings have to do with talent. There are different kinds of calls in life. During an emergency one person may be called upon to render medical aid as a nurse or EMS, while another person with no particular talent may be pressed into service to remove debris or provide transportation. Moreover, we never know when we may be called upon or the impact it may have on us or others. All we can do is to respond to the best of our abilities when called upon. It is also true that not all calls are of equal importance, nor have the same impact on lives as others might have. Except one.
    Paul the apostle spoke of this one exceptional calling on multiple occasions. He called it, among other things, a heavenly call (Hebrews 3:1-2). It requires no exceptional level of intelligence or other ability by those who receive it. In fact, it applies to all men and women. All can receive the call and answer it with an equal assurance of success. The only requirement for those who answer it is to do so with faithful adherence to the call itself. The degree of difficulty experienced in adhering to the call will vary with the individual, their background, strengths and weaknesses, and level of commitment. But we can rest assured that the One Who called us, will provide each of us with the guidance and strength we need to not only answer the call but to remain faithful to it, as Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (I Corinthians 10:13).
    The call Paul spoke of begins with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t end there. Also known as the Way (Acts 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22), it leads us to: life eternal (Matthew 7:13-14), to righteousness (Matthew 21:32), and the path of God (Mark 12:14). Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The call or the Way, then is the path of truth established and completed by God through His Son and passed on by the Holy Spirit through the prophets, apostles, and inspired writers of Holy Scripture. What was incomplete under the old covenant was made complete by Christ and the new covenant, which was paid for by His blood. The gospel calls us to a holy calling as followers of Christ, Who through His death purchased for us life and immortality as members of the kingdom He has established (II Timothy 1:8-10; Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28).    
    Peter told his readers that they had been called out of the darkness into God’s light (I Peter 2:9). That light illuminates our path toward the narrow gate that Jesus spoke of to His followers (Matthew 7:13-14). According to our Savior the path is difficult, though it be illumined, that leads to the gate of life; however, the rewards for reaching that gate are priceless. As Paul told the Philippians, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). The one who truly answers the call forgets her past with its successes and failures and sets her sights on the treasure that lies ahead. What Peter called the light, Paul described as the upward call of God, Who awaits us in heaven. He awaits those who will answer the call, for as Christ calls us to Himself, to become His saints, we must in turn call upon His name in obedience (I Corinthians 1:2).
    On another occasion Paul described the LORD God’s summons as a call into the “fellowship of His Son” (I Corinthians 1:9). It is more than an offer of citizenship in His kingdom, it is a personal invitation to fellowship with the Lord. Then again, it is more than even that. It is an offer of adoption, by which we are made heirs of the kingdom along with His Son (Romans 8:14-17; I Peter 1:3). To Paul being called into service and fellowship with the Lord was the worthiest of all calls, because it was the only one by which we are drawn to the Lord with a legitimate hope of being accepted by Him (Ephesians 4:1-6).  
    For everyone who accepts the Lord’s invitation there is prepared a life of opportunities and spiritual abundance. As a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17) the Christian is made for good works (Ephesians 2:10). We are to be a model to the world of what God wants man to be (Titus 2:7, 14), prepared for every good work that is of an excellent nature and profitable for people (Titus 3:1-2, 8). We are to be devoted to His word, becoming enlightened as to the hope into which He has called us, able to discern the riches of the saints and the greatness of God’s power toward us (Ephesians 4:4; 1:18-19), and prepared to give a defense to anyone that asks us about the hope that we have in the Lord (I Peter 3:15).  
    We have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). That very proximity to the Lord will inevitably bring us into conflict with the world. But we should not fear their rejection nor any persecution that we may suffer at their hands. As Peter once wrote, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (I Peter 5:10). Whatever we may suffer at the hands of the world we must trust that it will be of limited duration and of no consequence in comparison to the reward of heaven, and we must trust that God will be with us giving us the strength to not only endure, but that in the end He will establish our place with Him. We need only make every effort to remain obedient to our call.
    So, how are we called? We are called by the gospel (Luke 4:43; Acts 8:12; Romans 10:8-15). God’s command was for His word to be proclaimed to all nations. There is to be no partiality in who we reach out to with the gospel (Acts 10:34-35). The word is to be proclaimed by preachers, missionaries, teachers— by each one of us in defense of the hope that is in us (II Thessalonians 2:13-14; I Peter 3:15). Through the written word and our sharing of that word the truth is to be spread to all men. If we are doing our part all men will one day have the opportunity to hear the good news and come to a knowledge of the truth, and as Jesus said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The sad part is not all who receive the call will accept it. Some will miss their calling. No matter what we do most of the world will turn a deaf ear to what we say. While that may be disheartening, we must not dwell on the seeming failures, but instead rejoice in those who accept the Lord’s word for what it is— the path to their salvation.
    For those of us who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, the journey continues until we finish the race. It is a daily struggle at times to hold the world at bay. Such times prompted Peter to encourage his readers to build on their Christians virtues (II Peter 1:3-9), strengthening themselves to remain effective in the word. He culminated by writing, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (II Peter 1:10). We must be diligent in our journey along the way to the narrow gate for there are those who would seek to draw us away. It was Peter who also warned us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). The call brings us to the cross, but it is what we do after we accept Christ that determines our eternal fate. We must be true to the call and continue to follow the path along the way that Christ has pathed for us before we can say, along with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing” (II Timothy 4:7-8).