What were your responsibilities in life five years ago? Are they more or less today? Do they take more energy or are they more leisurely? Life is constantly changing. That means many of our callings in life are constantly changing. In this week's radio program we talk with Colin Creel, the author of the book Crossroads. In his book, Colin talks about how there are many ways that we can use all of our callings in life to honor God.
First, we discussed how our primary calling is to be a child of God. Any other calling in life will only make sense if you have this primary calling secured. It is only through Jesus Christ that we are able to truly understand our purpose for life. The Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1 that the creation was created by Christ, for Christ and it only makes sense when it flows through Christ. This means that we must have a relationship with Jesus Christ if we are to make sense of life and live it for real purpose. We must constantly be seeking Him to change our hearts so that our desire is to love Him and others more.
The secondary calling is not quite so easy to explain. According to Creel, this calling is subjective and changes from person to person. Your calling changes based upon the abilities, talents and desires God has given you. In addition, it changes throughout life. This means that a 35 year old father has a different secondary calling than a 65 year old grandfather. This relieves the pressure of this comparison when it comes to our secondary calling because too often I find myself comparing me to others. I am freed up to pursue pleasing God with callings in life and turn loose of my worry about how I stack up to others.
By secondary calling we mean our families, our community, our careers and so forth. God desires for us to pursue this secondary calling for His glory. That means that our constant objective, even in this calling...whatever it may be for you, is to honor Christ. How do you do that? It will take some thinking and imagination. How do you work in the factory for the glory of God? How do you work in the sandwich shop for the glory of God? How do you raise your children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren for the glory of God? How do you relate to your next door neighbor for the glory of God? Get the point? It takes conscience effort to think about how we can use this secondary calling for the glory of God. Then, we must be intentional in carrying it out.
Please find the freedom God intends here. This is not to be a stone bound around your neck. It is a concept that will help turn the daily work of life into something that has eternal impact. It makes those ordinary conversations out by the driveway or at the mailbox significant. Are you pursuing your calling? Or, are you missing out on the right-in-your-face opportunities God is giving you? You want your life to make an impact on this world...good news...God does too!
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1 comment:
This was a great post! I think we all struggle with the issue of our calling, but we can never be truly satisfied in it unless we've surrendered to God's two primary callings first. I haven't had the chance to listen to the interview with Colin Creel, but I'm certain it's fascinating. The link you have to his website is full of amazing resources, and I thank you for pointing the way. I feel overwhelmed (in a good way) with knowledge to weigh and test, and then use to surrender myself to a deeper relationship with Christ. Thanks again, brother, and keep fighting the good fight!
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