You are called - Live Oak Church Value #2

Did you know that every single one of us is called by God to do something? And, no, before you can even wonder what that means for you personally, it doesn't mean that you have to give everything you own away and jump on a plane to Africa. Most of us are not called to do something that will change the world as we know it: we are simply called to have positive impact on our own little corner of it. This is not something you have to stress about because God has already made the big impact by giving us Jesus.

When I was at the University of Texas I had no idea what I was going to do with my life but I knew I wanted it to be something big and impactful. I did want to go out and change the world for the better. I thought I would do great and important things to help and save people. When I ended up at Princeton Seminary to get a degree to allow me to be a minister I wasn't quite sure what I was doing there. I told my sister once that I thought I had accidentally gotten my neighbor's "call" and I wasn't supposed to be there at all. I did, however, persevere and ended up an ordained minister. I decided that it was through this venue that I would change the world but of course that hasn't happened yet, either. (what was that I said before about NOT needing to go to Africa?)

Over the past decade I have come to realize that I will neither save the world nor is it my job to do so. God is the only one who can and will save us. My job is to live the best life I can according to who I believe Jesus created me to be. For me that means being a wife and mom. For you, this could mean being a teacher, a stockbroker, a carpenter, or a data entry clerk. God has given each of us gifts and talents and utilizing these gifts with integrity and character is not easy - it is a real "calling". It means not turning away when someone needs something and it is not convenient monetarily or time-wise. It means having integrity in your dealings at work in all things, including office gossip, business deals, etc. For me, personally, it means being patient with my son when I am exhausted from mothering and giving my husband my full attention and time at the end of the day when I might rather be alone with a book. It also means committing to pray for them and how I treat them throughout the day.

Whatever job you do, you are called to do it in a godly manner with the gifts and talents that God has given you because God has called all of us to live this life for Him.

CS

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." - 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6