Our Calling

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4: 1


Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Did you play at being a blogger for Christ when you were six-years old?  I don't know about you, but when I was six-years old I didn't even know the term "blogger" let alone that I would want to be one.  But as the Lord's plan would have it, here I am, blogging for Him (that would have really not sounded like a proper activity for a girl when I was six : ).


We must rejoice for the Lord has revealed Himself to us and the Holy Spirit has graciously given us the eyes and the ears to perceive such amazing revelation.  And let us always be thankful, for He continues to guide and direct our paths.  He did this not that we should boast, for it is His gift and it has nothing to do with anything we do, but that we should boast in Him, who devises and carries out such marvelous plan in us.  We are His workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2: 10) Praise be to God!  He has a plan for us, and even if at times it might seems fuzzy or perhaps incomprehensible, it is, indeed, perfect.  After all, it is a plan to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Regardless of what my dreams and desires were when I was six-years old, the important thing is that I live His plan and design for me today. It may change tomorrow, for His plans are fluid from our perspective,-from His, everything is pre-determined since before the beginning of the world (Ephesians 1: 4)-. The important thing is that I live out God's destiny for me in complete humility, being gentle, patient and loving; making every effort to keep the unity to the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4: 3)

Today, therefore, I give thanks to the Lord for His guidance and revelation of my purpose as a Christian Blogger, even if way back when, as I played house with my old tea sets and dolls I had no clue what that would've meant.

Who Do You Say that I Am?

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 

Mark 8: 27-29

Are we called to be “Super Christians”? Are we not to feel frightened about anything?  At Sunday School we got into an interesting discussion regarding fear.  Some believed that fear is not something Christians should experience and if they do it is because they are not matured in their faith.  Others believed that a healthy dose of fear is necessary.  Yet others insisted that the only permissible fear is the fear of the Lord.

I’m not qualified to advance a forceful answer, but one thing I do know, the subject of fear is a complicated issue to deal with in the life of a Christian.  I believe, however, that we must experience a healthy dose of conviction which will move us to action and to be prepared at all times.  After all, we are to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15)
 

I believe that a crucial part of such preparation is to have determined some foundational answers to the most critical questions regarding our faith, so, when the moment comes, we don’t hesitate.  However, what questions are the crucial ones?  Where do we begin to figure that out?  In my opinion, Jesus himself tells us.  He tells us as He told his disciples when He walked on this earth.  Back then, when his beloved followers were telling Him how some where saying that He was “John the Baptist; others Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life;"  (Luke 9:19) Jesus posed backed to them what I consider the most crucial question of all: “But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Luke 9:20)

Who do you say He is?  Who do you say Jesus is?  If we answer this question with conviction, stick to it and remain loyal to this answer, we’ll be prepared.  Let’s not waste another minute and spend time right now answering this question.  Who do you say Jesus is?  Meditate on it.  Ponder it.  Wrestle with it.  Examine the evidence.  Do what you have to do, and come out being able to reply, just like Peter said:  “You are the Christ.” Examine His pierced body.   Like Thomas, see His wounds, put your fingers in the holes on His wrists, and stick your hand in His side, wonder and finally marvel at His sight and say, like Thomas:  “My Lord and My God.”

“Who do you say I am?”  You are the Christ!  You are the Great I AM.  Lord of all and Lord of my life.  You are my Lord and my God, without a doubt.  He cannot be anything short of this.  All the other answers are not of the Holy Spirit.  He is not a great teacher.  He is not a great man that lived 2000 years ago.  He is not a great healer.  He is not a loving man who did some great things.  He is not one more in the collection of the gods of this world.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only; who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”  (John:1 1,14)

“Who do you say I am?” Mark 8: 29

So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. (1 Samuel 30: 9-10)

We see in 1 Samuel, chapter 30 that after David and his warriors came back home to Ziklag, they found out that the Amalekites had invaded it and had taken captive their women and families.  This brought great distress and bitterness to the already exhausted troops.  They were all gravely grieved, but David, whose family had been taken captive too, found strength in the LORD and heard from God that he was to pursue the aggressor.  


There were six hundred men with David, and David led them to the Brook Besor, a natural place of rest for the weary soldiers.  David, in his Spirit-inspired mercy, did not force those who lacked the capacity to go on and allowed them to stay behind at Besor to regain some measure of strength and comfort.  


Even though these men had suffered great personal loss, they did not have anything left in them to seek vengeance and reclaim their own.  David did not urged them, on the contrary, he allowed two-hundred of his warriors to rest at the Brook Besor while he went on to fight their battle.


Likewise in our Christian walk, sometimes we are so spent that we simply can't go on even though we still have some ground to cover and important battles to fight.  We just can't.  In those instances, the Lord, Our God takes us to our own personal Brook Besor and allows us to find rest and gain strength, while He takes care of our pending issues.  That's when we must just be still and know that He is, indeed, the God who can and will take care of our every need. (Psalm 46: 10)


Let's remember that as we pursue God's mission for us as Christian bloggers, there might be times when we need some respite.  The Lord we serve is a Merciful God and He will provide that place of rest for us.  May Blogging for Him provide a small space for the weary blogger to find encouragement and a place to sit back and put up our feet, even if just for a few brief minutes a day.