Vocation, Day 2

Vocation, Day 2

Accepting the Call

It is up to us to decide whether we will accept and act upon the vocation that God calls us to in our lives.

Just as excellence in any professional vocation requires faithful study and work, so God requires that Christians labor to be worthy of their divine vocation.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

If people accept the Christian vocation and labor in it, they can expect - just as they might expect from their professional vocations- a great reward.

Ephesians 1:18 the eyes of your understanding[a] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

I wanted to add a little more to the story of our lives so that I can share with you how He will call us according to our abilities.

During the first few years of my Christian walk, Angela and I formed a study group called Women of Worship. She lived much closer to me then, just under 1 hour from my house. We met with women on Monday nights here in my home and Tuesday nights in her home. It was an amazing group of women, it was perfect at the time. When Angela moved to Iowa and I delivered my third child, the dynamics of the group were no longer something that I could manage. So the group continued to meet with the leadership of other capable women. I think it still meets today. Shortly after my decision to stop leading the group, God came to me with instructions on what I was to do next. I was at a conference which I believed I was attending for the purpose of youth ministry. During one of the sessions, a speaker said something that triggered one of those thought processes that leads you somewhere far off until you realize the session has ended or is transitioning. In that far off place, God revealed that he wanted me to reach women through the Internet. I struggled with him, reminding him that I was taking care of a new baby and that I was emotionally and physically strained with several friends moving away and relationships being "challenged". I assured God that he was silly and that I was there for other reasons. It wasn't 5 minutes later that someone I had never met before came up to me with tears in his eyes and introduced himself by saying, "God is trying to tell you something and you are not listening, Hi, I am Gil." I hated Gil and loved him all in one second. Then he told me that I needed to do what God was telling me to do and stop telling him no. So off I went, a bit dazed, definitely blurry eyed into the break room where I ran into Diane. She greeted me with a smile, pulled me to the side and said "are you struggling with something? God wants me to tell you that you need to surrender to what he is asking of you." Off she went. So it was then that I realized I had the ability to do what he was calling me to do and that he would take care of the details. So was formed the beginning of the Women of Worship online devotional.

Looking back on the call in my husbands life to start youth ministry and in my life with the women's devotional, I see how God has used us to grow his kingdom.

May I ask you what your abilities are to answer a call God may have in your life?

It can be something as small as a pitter patter in your chest. It can be as large as a death in the family. No matter what, God will try to get your attention, but it is your responsibility to accept and act upon the vocation.

God, I realize there are more women out there that may try to reason with you when you come to them with your calling in their lives. I ask that you prepare their hearts and minds. That they will not be as stubborn as I was or that they will not allow their stubbornness to get in the way of their response to your call. May I ask that you speak to everyone reading this and confirm their current calling or reveal to them what abilities they possess. In Christ name, Amen.

Please join me in praying for Kathy L. this week.