The Calling

Knowing God’s will for your life is not always a simple matter, but it is extremely important. We can somethings live with uncertainty about our vocation, but to not understanding fully your calling can be a miserable existence. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2). People who are confident that they are where God wants them to be and doing what He wants them to do are truly blessed. But how do we get there, to that prefect understandings of where God wants us to serve Him?

Jesus certainly was very specific when He called His first disciples - As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me, " Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him (Matthew 4:18-20).

There is several things that are outlined here in Matthew that will help us determine how to clearly understand God's calling:

1. God gives specific calls that normally offer a directional purpose -- "come follow me" and "I will make you fishers of men." This type of calling is a call to action; a changed of direction within a life. Peter and Andrew, like many others who followed Him, followed Him unconditionally. They did not fully understand their call, but followed Him purely by faith, knowing that whatever He had in store from them was important, life changing, and worth the effort. A directional change that the specifics would be known in time.
   
2. It is interesting that Scripture doesn't suggest or even offer a hint that Peter and Andrew asked questions about what was requested, it only states...They got up from what they where doing and followed Jesus. Whenever God calls, typically there is no time to consider the outcome, only to get up and follow. Like Peter and Andrew, many of us do not fully understand what tomorrow will bring, only that we have been asked to follow Him and that is what we are doing. We are simply allowing God to be God, thus allowing Him to work out the details.
   
3. The other thing that should be noticed here; Jesus many times enlists common men to do uncommon tasks. Why is that? The answer...Only through His empowering can the task be accomplished, thus directing the focus back to the One who has the power, not the person being used. Certainly fishing was a task that Peter and Andrew knew, but fishing for men was different.
   
4. There is always a cost for following Him -- although not outlined within this location, we can pick up the story line from other locations. There is a good example of this in Luke 22 -- Peter just disowned Jesus. Peter, up until this point in time didn't know the true cost of following Him. But even with this situation, Jesus still gave Peter high marks; "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Just receiving the call is not enough. It takes action, an executing of what God has directed you to do to make a difference. Yes your calling is certainly important, but it is more then just getting a call, it acting on it. Is there an element of risk...of course! Risk is involved in every act of commitment, but He promised never to leave us or forsake us, and whatever He started we can be assured He will finish! All we need to do is just follow.

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).