True Calling

I have been thinking about my calling as a Christ follower for that last few days. This subject has come up in different ways and I have run across a few blogs that have mentioned this.

We all have callings. We all have seasons for our callings. Our callings change over time, they may transform, mature or even end for another to begin.

Everyone's calling is different. We have different spheres of influences.

Right now, in this season of life I have a small sphere of influence. I don't work outside of my home. Most of my friends are believers with their own calls. There are few people that I come in contact with who do not know Christ who I personally know. The majority of people I come in contact with on a daily basis includes the checker at the grocery store and the moms on Sammy's t-ball team.

It's a small sphere. And I am called to reach those who I come in contact with whether I do so by inviting them to church or befriending them and showing Christ through my walk with Him.

However, there is one rather large piece in my sphere that I have great influence on. That I have an incredible calling for. That is my highest calling and most challenging call.

My greatest calling is to my husband, children and the home God has blessed me with. It is my greatest calling. My greatest challenge.

It is a calling above everything else. It takes president over any other lost soul, hurting country or dying generation.

I have it only for a season and I must do all that I can to be a Godly influence and example to my husband and children. 

My husband and I are in this together...and though he is the head of our home, I am the thermostat. I control the atmosphere. I want an atmosphere of praise in my home. I want an atmosphere of compassion, love, gentleness, kindness and truth. I am called to be the thermostat, to create the atmosphere in which we live. He will function well as the head of the home, he will fulfill his calling when I am fulfilling mine.

My goal in this season of life is to bring up my children in the Lord so that they will not depart from Him (Prov. 22:6). 

My goal is for them to Love the Lord with all thier heart, soul and mind and write it on our door posts. 

(Deut. 6:5-9).

My goal is for them to know the truth so that they will be set free (John 8:32).



My goal is for them to think on things that are pure, honest, just, holy (Phil. 4:8).

My goal is for them to Trust in the Lord with all their hearts. To do everything for the glory of God (Prov. 3:5-6)

What would it cost me to save the whole world but not shape and mold the hearts of my children? (Mark 8:36)

So many times I think maybe I am not doing enough. Maybe I am not serving enough. Maybe I should volunteer or join a mom group do something so I can meet more people and show them Jesus...broaden my sphere of influence.

But that's not my calling right now.

All those things are great, but what matters most right now are the hearts of my children and my husband.

My calling is to be constantly refined so that I can win the hearts of my children and husband.

Whoa.

That's a little scary.

To be refined is to go through fire. A piece of gold must meet the flame and be purged of all impurities before it is worth anything. 

I am being refined daily. I go through daily struggles and constantly fail, but I am being refined. And it's worth it because I come out more pure, more ready to take on my calling. 

This calling....it is at times overwhelming. But there is no greater calling than to raise my children to know and fear God. And to live every day rejoicing in the day he has made (Ps. 116:44).

Nothing else matters. I only have so much time before they take the lessons I have taught them and make their own choices. 

No matter what season of life you are in you have a calling like no one else's. You have a sphere of influence. God has appointed you and placed you where you are for such a time as this.

Give praise for his refinement and make every day of influence count.

Prayer

Father I am sorry for taking advantage of the time and the season you have placed me in. Forgive me for wanting to be more when You have given me so much. Wanting to do more, when the greatest calling has been in my arms. Thank your for your patience, for your trust that you have in me to fulfill what you have called me to do. Thank you for refining me and allowing me to be better and able. Be patient with me Lord. Thank you for the calling of raising sons and daughters who Love you and help me to fulfill it. In your precious name, Amen.

Spark Challenge

What is your calling? Think about this. Pray about it. What has God called you to in this season of your life. What are you doing to fulfill it? Take some time out today and ask the Lord to show you what He has called you to and ask Him the path you need to take to fulfill that calling. 

Actions to take

On an index card write down what your calling is and put it in your bible or prayer journal or even on somewhere you can see it everyday like a nightstand or vanity mirror. Read it and remind yourself of it everyday.

Write down some things on what you can do to fulfill your calling. For example, one of my goals is to have scripture written on my walls so that the children can see these and read these everyday, whether that is with decals or wall art.

Take a minute everyday to speak life into someone in your sphere of influence. Spark life into them with your words whether through encouragement, praise, words of thankfulness and appreciation, etc.

Spark Truths

"The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction." Proverbs 16:21

"Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
6"I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations." Is. 42:5-7

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." 1 Peter 1:6-8

Life on Purpose and Abundant

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News... For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together.                                             Phillipians 1:27 & 29-30

What’s our purpose? What’s my purpose in this life.

So many days we walk this life day by day and we lose sight of what we are doing or where we are going. We’re not lost. We are just moving through the motions of life. But what’s our purpose? What’s the point of everyday.

Daily living…wake up, get your family ready for the day, head to your daily work, whatever that may be, go about your day, come home, take care of your home, try to get to bed early and start all over the next day.

Is that it? Is that all we do? What’s the point? What are we living for?




Some of us live for our kids. All we do revolves around our children. Some may live for our spouse…we are constantly trying to make ourselves better for them, or create what we think they want in their lives. Some of us may live for church, and the time we spend "serving" and doing “church” things consumes us. Or perhaps you live for work, for that extra dollar, that promotion.

Are you missing out on a higher calling? What is your true purpose?

Phillipians 1:27 and 30 says “ we are fighting together for the faith, which is the good news…we are in this struggle together.”

Our purpose is to fight for the faith. It’s a priveledge and a struggle.




We are not called to walk life day by day. We are not called to be complacent to daily living. We are called to “fight for the faith.” We are in a fight everyday whether we know it or not. Whether we believe it or not. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but...against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
We are living in a dark world. Engaged in a fight for our lives and the lives of those we love. Our purpose is not to fight for that promotion, or fight for more money for the PTA or fight for a new church bulletin! Our purpose is to fight for the Good News.

What is the good news?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Life more abundantly. Abundantly: syn. overflowing, oversufficient, more than adequate.

I don’t know about you, but I want that life. I want a life overflowing in blessing. Abundant in grace and mercy. Oversufficient in love. Overflowing in forgiveness. Abundant in truth.

The abundant life.

Life sometimes gets complacent. It gets dull. It gets mediocre and monotonus.

And many times, I think I am to blame for that. So many times when things are crazy in my home, when kids are sick or work is stressful or weekends are filled I wish for "normalcy". Monotony.

I don’t want that. I want life to be abundant and overflowing.

Truth: When life is crazy and busy and stressful, I spend more time with my Savior. Perhaps it’s by default, but nonetheless it's true.

When life is easy or “normal,” when I am taking a break from the “struggle” of this life I don’t need to rely on my God. I don’t need to trust Him. My faith is fine right where it is. I don’t need an abundant life because things are manageable, easy, monotonous.

But the “struggle” is a “priviledge.” When I am fighting for the health of my family I remember his truths that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn" Isaiah 54:17.

When I am fighting for favor at my husbands job I remember that "He blesses the righteous; He surrounds them with his favor as with a shield" Psalm 5:12.

I don’t want my purpose in this life to be just going though the motions; getting by on day to day living.

My purpose is to raise my kids to "love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and strength" Deuteronomy 6:5. My purpose is to “greatly enrich” my husbands life and “bring[s] him good, not harm” Proverbs 31: 12 My purpose is to “encourage one another and build each other up” 1 Thesolonians 5:11.

This is not always easy. Many days I struggle on simply raising my kids, not to mention teaching them to love the Lord. I struggle with honoring my husband and loving him for there are days when I want to say “leave me alone for 5 minutes!” I struggle with encouraging others when I feel like all I do is pour myself into everything but me.

But if I want an abundant life…a life that is full of blessing and overflowing, I will struggle to fulfill my purpose. I will fight. And there may be days when I fail, when I lose, when victory is lost, but on the days that I win, the days when my kids love like Christ loves, when my husband shows his appreciation, when I am pouring myself out so that He will fill me again…That is Life Abundant. That is Purpose Fulfilled.

Prayer

"Father Thank you for giving me a purpose greater than my own. Help me remember that it is a priveledge to struggle for the Good News. Remind me that the Life you desire for me is full of blessing and abundance and give me the courage and strength to fight for an abundant life so that my family will be blessed by my obedience. In your precious name, Amen.

Reflections

What is your purpose in this life? What are some areas in your life that you want God's abundance to be overflowing? What is "normal" for you?" Do you tend to find that when life is "normal" your relationship with God is complacent?" How can you increase God's abundance in your life daily?

Actions to Take

Write down how you are "fighting for the faith, or the Good News." How are those struggles fulfilling the purpose that God has called you to in the season you are in now? Examine your reasons for the fights you take on and align them with God's purpose for you.

Spark Challenges

•  I will no longer seek the norm, but find priviledge in the struggle.
• I will find my purpose for what God is called me to be right now.
• I will no longer be fine with a complacent relationship with God, but will seek Him always.
• I will realize that I am always in some struggle for the Good News and I will do whatever it takes to fight for the Abundant Life.

Spark Truth to Remember

"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands."                  Psalm 138:8


"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."   Proverbs 19:21

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."        Philippians 1:6

"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance." Jude 1:2