My friend Jeff just put up a new post today. It deals, in part, with his need to redefine his "calling" outside of the traditional church setting.
His blog got me to thinking, and I started to comment, but as I started typing, I realized I had too much to say and I should really just blog it.
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Over the last couple of years, the Lord has been revealing to me that "doing the will of God" is quite often a small, or seemingly (to us) random thing. Sometimes we only seek His will for things like: Who do I marry? Do I take this job?
But if you look at the life of Jesus, you see it is made up of equal parts big and small events. Of course, he had a HUGE calling and destiny (to die for the sins of the world, etc.), but if you look at his life moment by moment, it's like this:
Jesus went here. Then he traveled there. Then he talked to this guy. Then he talked to that gal. Then he prayed. Then he went in a boat.
Even when the crowds were following him and he was performing miracles, afterwards when he pulled away with just the disciples, some of the most powerful words he spoke were spoken in that intimate setting.
One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 12:2-
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.That scripture has always blown my mind -- you mean we can "test and approve what God's will is"? Wow. But it starts with renewing your mind.
I've heard lots of people talk about "renewing your mind", and they are normally referring to keeping out the "bad stuff". I agree with that - garbage in, garbage out. But sometimes, I think some of our religious mindsets have to be renewed as well.
Sometimes people only put the "will of God" in a mystical, gigantic, major decision category. But I think that God's will should effect everything in our lives. We are all in "full time ministry", if you know what I mean.
Should I become a missionary? Big decision, and certainly part of determining God's will for my life.
Should I talk to my co-worker that's having a hard day? Doesn't seem like that big of a decision...probably not going to change MY life. But it could possibly change theirs.
I joking alternately titled this blog "What's for dinner?" That's a tongue in cheek way of saying if we only try to bring God into the BIG decisions, the MONUMENTAL decisions, I think we limit what God can do through us.
Praying about what shirt to wear today? Probably overkill. Asking for direction about who might need a phone call this week? Why not?
5 comments:
Dang--you mean this shirt I'm wearing wasn't necessarily the will of God? :)
Good post, bro, and well said. I'm still unraveling my own thoughts and will probably post more on my own blog tomorrow...but the picture I'm kind of seeing is that our "calling" stems from a deep-rooted BIG thing in our heart and soul...and out of that comes a wide variety of littler things that express it. I think that ties into the whole deal about God's will--there are lots of little actions within the will of God that connect overall with our larger direction.
Thanks Jeff. For me it's about the full-time vs. no-time ministry (now that I don't get a check from a church), and understanding that my "job" doesn't change my "calling", or whether or not I can really "do His will".
You know what I mean.
Perhaps I should be praying for more specifics. But I don't. I believe that He has a plan for every aspect of my life.
My problem is that I often find it too hard to see that plan. So I pray for wisdom to see the path that He has laid out for me. If I'm not following that path, then a nudge or a kick would be much appreciated.
Is his plan for me to struggle financially and endure hardships? Sometimes it looks that way. Perhaps that is the plan. But hardships are endurable as long as we (I) know that it is part of the plan.
There's an old homily that you've undoubtedly seen on plaques, dishtowles, etc. It reads "Lord grant me the strength to change the things I can, The serenity to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Trite? I don't think so. Maybe I'm not praying hard enough for serenity (I could certainly use a dose of that!). But I pray continually for wisdom, and as soon as He blesses me with that,
THAN I can start on other things.
Z-man,
I find myself in that same situation. And I, too, could always use some of that wisdom.
When are you going to start a blog of your own? I know you can write, and you've obviously got some great stuff to say!
The general consensus is that I have too much to say and I say it too often.
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