Have you ever thought that you were unqualified to do the work God set before you. Have you ever questioned God by comparing yourself to someone from the Bible? When I was called to the ministry, I ignored it for 2 years. I reminded God that my past would not allow me to effectively communicate the Gospel. I reminded God that baseball defined who I am, not the ministry. I reminded God that I was not trained at seminary, I was trained to be a teacher. I reminded God of how unqualified I was to do anything that He was asking me to do. I reminded Him that I was NOT Paul or Timothy, and definitely not Peter. Then God reminded me of Jeremiah. He reminded me that Jeremiah had the same doubts, the same reservations, the same hang ups that I did. He reminded me that Paul used to order the death of Christians for the Roman government. He reminded me that Noah was a drunk, Abraham was an old man, Jacob was a liar, Moses stuttered, and Samson was a womanizer. What He did, is He reminded me that HE created me. He reminded me that He knew me inside and out, He knew my capabilities and my limitations. He reminded me that I was in no place to question His creation. It was then, that I surrendered to the call and allowed God to use this battered soul to attempt to make a difference in the lives of teenagers. I had finally answered my call.
We all have calls. We are all called to the ministry of our Lord and Savior. There is a saying that I use often with my students- You are either a missionary or a mission field. Your call begins when you accept a relationship with our Lord. Your life-long mission trip begins then, whether you are 7 or 70. So why do we find it difficult to answer and, more importantly, live that call day in and day out? There are four realizations that we must accept in order to fulfill this plan. The first, I have already touched on. We must realize that God knows us. He knows our limitations and our capabilities. We must trust that and answer the call. Secondly, we must realize that God has called each one of us. Jeremiah, Noah, Moses, Paul- they all thought as we do. They did not believe they were qualified either. We are all given a calling, not just pastors. Embrace that call. The third realization is that when we answer the call, we MUST TAKE A STAND. The ways of the world and the ways of Christ move in completely opposite directions. We can not follow both, you must choose. Yes you will sin. The world will trip you up on your journey toward Christ. We just need to make sure that when we trip, we are moving toward Christ instead of cannon balling away from Him toward the world. Lastly, we must realize that God is with us every step of the way. We need to learn to trust God to be God and not rely on ourselves. When we rely on ourselves, I think we can agree it doesn’t turn out so well.
The key to answering the call that God has given you is to not allow excuses, given to you by this world, to bury your desire to answer your call. The excuse of: I’m too young, I’m afraid, people will stop liking me, or simply I don’t want to, will cloud your thoughts and make you believe that you are doing the logical thing. When you choose to try to move in two directions at once, you will find it hard to follow and answer. When you choose to ignore the call, you will find it hard to follow and answer. This new year, make the choice few people make. Make the choice to answer God’s call on your life. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Answer the call of Christ and trust God to be God.
In Christ Alone,
Rev. Bro. Coach
RBC 