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Monday, February
11, 2008
See Your Calling
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 For ye see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base
things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no
flesh should glory in his presence. (KJV)
Don’t be offended and don’t take it
personal that the Lord didn’t call you based on your wisdom and strength.
Salvation is not like filling out an application for a job, where the
employer is looking for the most qualified employee based on their ability
and wisdom. Just the opposite holds true with the Lord; His calling is
based on the heart and what the heart treasures and who the heart truly
desires to serve. So don’t think that God chose you because you are the
wisest person He could find or because of your standing in the world or in
the community, but rather because you realized that you are weak and unable
to attain salvation on your own. The more you keep this mindset, humility
is another word that describes this, the more God is able to use you.
2 Corinthians 8:10-12 And herein I give
my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only
to do, but also to be forward a year ago. (11) Now therefore perform the
doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a
performance also out of that which ye have. (12) For if there be first a
willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not
according to that he hath not. (KJV)
God called you and accepted you for who
you are not for someone you think you should be; rather now you need to
pattern your life according to His will and walk in the realm of the
Spirit. All God asks and will ask is that there is a willingness to follow
His path based on His word, letting that be your strength and not how man
measures strength and ability. The more you realize how weak you really are
on your own, the more you will find strength in what the Lord has done on
your behalf; not like many others who think they are strong because they
think they are doing so much on His behalf.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should
be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there
was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me,
lest I should be exalted above measure. (8) For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he said unto me, My
grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power
of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's
sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (KJV)
Paul had his own issues to deal with
which he described as a thorn in the flesh. What that thorn was, has been
speculated for 2 thousand years. One thing we know, Paul had a past that
dealt with mistreating Christians and knowing from my own personal
experiences the devil likes to remind people of their past and its
shortcomings. So the fact that Paul was able to come to the conclusion that
our salvation is based on grace and not of works which leaves no room for
boasting is one reason why God was able to use this man to write a good
portion of the epistles. Now being weak doesn’t mean we run and hide, but
rather you understand more and more that the Spirit is truly willing it’s
our flesh, our carnal mind and understanding that is weak. Paul found his
strength in the completed work Jesus Christ did on his behalf and not the
completed work many claim they are doing on the Lord’s behalf. It doesn’t
matter how many scriptures you can quote, how many sermons you preach, or
how big a congregation you have built, it all comes down to a simple loving
obedience to our Lord and the complete work He has done and is continuing
to do within those that are willing to follow His example. You can have all
knowledge and faith to move mountains but if you do not have love, a
relationship based on trust and commitment with the Father, it will profit
you nothing. So where is your strength coming from today? In what the word
of God says, a path you are walking by faith, or are you leaning to your
own understanding by what you think will make you strong, or should I say
head strong as so many are?
Galatians 4:12-14 Brethren, I beseech
you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. (13) Ye
know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at
the first. (14) And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not,
nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
(KJV)
Obviously Paul had dealt with this
infirmity as we see it written about again, and was humble enough to let
the people know that he was just as human as they were. Sometimes those
that God has called think they have to come off as bulletproof and
invincible which makes it hard for others to relate to them. Yes it is
important to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, but being
able to relate to the people through your own experiences can be an
inspiration as well as opportunity for them to open up and share things
that they have had to deal with, their own infirmity and temptation in
their flesh. Remember, when it came time for those without sin to cast the
first stone no one did. So keep in mind the same compassion God has dealt
you, how longsuffering and patience can go a long way to helping someone
remove and get past their own thorns in the flesh.
1 Corinthians 9:20-23 And unto the Jews I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the
law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; (21)
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to
God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without
law. (22) To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am
made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (23) And
this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
(KJV)
Now you don’t have to go back under the
old law or become a Jew to relate to a Jew, but rather you hear the Lord
and put yourself in their place, where they are at, so that you can let the
Lord minister through you effectively. To the weak, I am reminded myself of
times when I have been weak and how I trusted more in my own abilities and
works than the working of the Lord that He was trying to work in me. Or
what I call the sins and shortcomings of my youth when I used to let the
devil paint a picture in my mind of all the things I was missing out on and
how much better my life would be if I could have the things I desired. The
only problem is the devil doesn’t show us the consequences, which when the
tab comes it’s always much bigger and lasts much longer than the short term
thrill ride we took in the flesh. Being weak, staying out of the way, not
leaning to your own understanding is a good thing and one that will allow
you to see your calling more clearly and let the Lord minister through you
more effectively.
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