calling

Some of you may remember this phrase from the old TV show, Mission Impossible, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is…”. Then the mission would be given to the participants and they would go accomplish it. God might say, “Everyone should know that I have a job for them to do.” God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. (1 Cor. 12:18), We are the body of Christ, each one of us is a part of it and we each have a job to do. So, what’s our mission and are we going to accept it?

Being a former coach, a lot of the inspirational things that come to me are sports related. I can see a coach at the beginning of the first practice telling the team, “You’re all here to be a part of this team. We all have a job to do. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to hurt, you’re going to be pushed but we will stand together against our opponents and support each other. We are going to be successful! Your mission is to be the best that you can be, work hard, play as a team and, win or lose, always do your best. Do you accept this mission?” Can you also see Jesus standing before a bunch of Christians saying the same things? Have you been or are you now in that crowd and have or will you accept the mission? “And he said to them all, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me;” (Luke 9:23).

Research has shown that too many on the church team are satisfied with just being on the team, wearing the uniform, coming to practice when they want to, avoiding the hard work and just standing on the sidelines. Our mission, God’s mission requires more.

This also reminds me of when I was a physical education teacher and we would be picking teams for a game in gym. I’d choose two students to come up front to pick teams and they would usually pick the best players first leaving the small or unskilled for last. However, in this Spiritual scenario, I can see Jesus out front picking His team and He looks over the crowd toward the back, and says to the little kid, “You, there in the back, I want you first.” “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16). God will choose anyone if they are willing and He will equip them for the work. It’s your mission if you choose to accept it.

I remember a time when I had accepted God’s mission and wanted to be the best for Him. I was not satisfied with just being on the team. I was driving to work one morning and was praying: “God, I’m going through some difficult times here, what’s going on?” Immediately, in my Spirit, the answer came: “Bill, you signed up for the advanced class, do you want out?” Oh, it hit me! “No, Lord, I want to be the best for You whatever it takes!” It was my mission and I had to choose to accept it or leave it. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Mission accepted!

During our Monday evening prayer time at church, I was thinking and praying about 2 Chronicles 7:14. The first few words of the verse say, “If My people who are called”. That began a thought process in my mind of digging deeper into this familiar verse and how it may impact us today.

So, who is called? “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (1 Corinthians 7:17). God knew us before we were born, (Jeremiah 1:5), and He assigned a purpose to us. “Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, Who saved us and called us to a holy calling,” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). So, it appears that we are all called. But here is something scary, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14). We see that it’s critical that, when we are called, we must answer in the affirmative. God has, “called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). If we answer His call, we are His people.

Then God says, “by My name”, we are called by His name., we are identified by His name. If we’re devoted to a sports team, we say, “I’m a ____ fan.” (You fill in the blank.) But when you’re a part of a family, you’re identified with that family name. Big difference! We are called to be a part of God’s family but there’s something we must do first, we must accept the name of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. By accepting Jesus, we become part of God’s family and answer the calling.

So, what’s the next step? According to the verse, God’s called people must “humble themselves”. Notice that it says, “themselves”. We must humble ourselves, declare that it’s not all about us, admit we need a Saviour and bow to His calling. Either we humble ourselves or…God will humble us! We’re His family now and if we get on our high horse, He’s going to bring us back down to reality.

Then, we must “pray”. There are many kinds of prayer: fervent prayer, (James 5:16), fasting prayer, (Matthew 17:21), intercessory prayer for others, praying in the Spirit, (Ephesians 6:18), praise & worship, spiritual warfare, and thanksgiving prayer. We must pray. And, as we do, we have to, “seek My face”. This is not a quick email, text or call to an office to speak to a secretary. We get to connect with the CEO because He’s given us access to the Throne Room and is waiting to meet with us. Seek His face not His hand. Spend time with Him.

So, here we are, His called people, in the throne Room, humbled before Him speaking our needs to Him as He listens. Then He says, “Child, you’ve done well to prepare yourself to be here but there’s one more thing I need you to do, turn from your wicked ways.” We must confess, repent, ask forgiveness and receive His mercy. THEN, He says…“will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Are we called?

What’s Our Mission?

Are We Called?

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