A job? Or more...

A while back I was privileged to speak to journalists in Ukraine about our media profession, whether it is a job or a calling. In that message, I quoted from a book, A Case for Calling, by Tomas Addington and Stephen Graves. They said:

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]Calling is the truth that God calls us to Himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to His summons and service.[/blockquote]

So, do you have a calling? Is what you do for the Lord based on His direction for your life? Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, is quoted as saying:

“It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and with a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires.”

Ouch! Chambers goes on to say this.

[blockquote author=”” link=”” target=”_blank”]You may be more prosperous and successful from the world’s perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will.[/blockquote]

The Apostle Paul summed it up this way.

[blockquote author=”Acts 20:24 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.[/blockquote]

If you believe that the Bible is fully inspired by God’s Holy Spirit…and I do…then Paul’s words, “…my life is worth nothing to me…,” means just what it says. Paul counted anything he did that was not under God’s assignment as rubbish, garbage, nothing. Good things that are not God’s things are nothing.

So, what’s on your desk this morning? What’s on your agenda for the week? Are they leading you in the path to which God has called you? Are they part of His plan, or simply your plan? I don’t know about you, but I have some pondering and examining to do. Remember…we serve the King who bought us with the blood of His Son. As Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth:

[blockquote author=”I Corinthians 6:19, 20 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]…You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price….[/blockquote]

Your plan. Or God’s plan. What will it be today?