Skip to main content

Your Phone is Ringing. Will You Answer?


The text message from Jarrod said, “Can you call me?” which usually means something is going on. I immediately called him and asked what was going on. He replied with anxiety that he was in the parking lot of the gym, dressed ready to work out and he couldn't bring himself to get out of the truck. He was freaking out and talking about the dread he felt about working out with a bunch of young, in-the-best-shape-of-their-lives adults. I answered with something to the effect of, “what’s wrong with you? Just get out of the truck and go get our money’s worth.” He continued to flip out and I answered in the only way I know how to deal with anxiety and say, “Jarrod, just say the name.” He waited a few beats, warring with himself over the choice and resolved to run to the only one who can fix this crisis and says, “Jesus.” In that one word, that one name, we both felt the atmosphere change and his countenance switched over to his true self. He thanked me, got off the phone, ran his little heart out at the gym and prayed for the people there. 

Our call in life is Jesus (Ephesians 4:1). To be like him and to seek him in your life is a choice you can make. He is bigger than each of us and is the answer to everything. Under his authority, as part of the Holy Trinity, you are gifted with the opportunity to contribute life and light as part of the body of Christ. As a contributor, you act through love as a humble, gentle, patient, peaceful member of the family (Ephesians 4:2) with the inheritance of specialgifts that are practiced, but not limited to:
  • apostles (fathers), 
  • prophets (revealers), 
  • evangelists (preach to non-believers), 
  • shepherd or pastor (oversee the flock of God), and 
  • teachers (inform and create understanding) (Ephesians 4:11). 
The gifts are dispersed and used to “equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12).


You call, your gifting, in life will come naturally but not easily. There will be obstacles in your way to hinder you from answering the call. Excuses and distractions will pop up to keep you away from living in the fullness of who God created you to be. Come under the authority of those God puts above you, push forward to serve your purpose and be a contributing part of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16). 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Be an Idiot for God

You know that kind of dirt that is just old and crusty and doesn't yield much growth? It takes patience, rain, plowing, love and care to change the chemistry of that soil. After it has been healed, the soil is moist, dark brown and smells like earth. But it didn't get to that point without a little work. Think of yourself as the old dirt. God wants to plow up the old crusty part of your life that isn't fruitful anymore and replace it with new, moist, healthy soil to plant good seed. God wants to take you higher than you've ever been before but you have to want it. The process may be painful but the fruit will be delicious. I want to encourage you to come into the newness of the spirit but you'll need the strength of God to get your through, not your own strength. Last week, my husband and I had to take his truck in because it was like riding Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For whatever reason, the tires we received a couple months ago shredded and needed to be replaced...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reforming Undesirable Behavior

You know that thing you do that you don't wanna do but you keep doing it because you can't stop doing it? These behaviors might include: lying, cheating, raging, gossiping, pornography, drinking, drugs, eating, throwing up, etc. Reforming these behaviors on your own can prove to be a little tricky. I'd say reforming undesirable behavior might even be impossible on your own. But there is still hope for us. With the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and a renewed mind, you can reform your behavior. Youth conference with lots of God encounters! An encounter with God is the easiest way to reform undesirable behavior because the encounter will fill you with the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord renews our minds in a way that informs our bodies of what's beneficial to our spiritual health in the eyes of God. So, your mouth doesn't want to lie anymore; your tongue won't allow you to eat certain things; your eyes will be opened to the evil of pornogra...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Mobile Church

I love the picture to the right, taken by a friend in the church. It's the perfect picture of God's light shining down on his church. The symbolism of it is perfect: the church is soaking up God's light and charging its people inside to do God's work. I don't know about you but I always feel refreshed and recharged after connecting with a body of believers. Our light gets "re-brightened" and we are energized to keep going. God wants us to take His light out to the people - His church (the light bearers) is not to be confined by four walls and our own preconceived notions. I think a lot of Christians are afraid to be " the light of the world " for fear of being judged or cast out socially. God wants us to hand over our fear of looking stupid and get desperate for him to change our lives. To rid ourselves of this fear, we have to open our hearts to what God desires and ask him to fill us with his light and wisdom in its place. When you open your...
Post a Comment
Read more