A Live Worthy of Calling
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4: 1 - 6 (NIV)
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Message: A Life Worthy of Calling
What is our calling as Christians?
This passage is best known for the call to unity in the church
But the urge to live a life that is worthy of the calling received is noteworthy
What is the calling of a Christian all about?
Is this idea of calling about being called to do specific work? Like the prophets or the disciples?
Yes and No…
There are definitely examples in the Bible of people being called by God to do specific work - disciples, prophets, etc.
But there are multiple examples that calling is more than just for specific work
We have an upward call in Christ to be with Jesus and to be like Jesus (Phil. 3:14)
We have been called to freedom, not bondage (Gal. 5:13)
God has saved us and called us to a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9)
He has called us to his own glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3)
Not many of us were called to noble things (in the world’s eyes), but, amazingly, we have been called to Christ (1 Cor. 1:26)
And if called, then justified, and if justified, then glorified (Rom. 8:30)
These quotes from Scripture tells us that the calling of God on living our lives is much more
Yes, God is calling us to live lives that are humble and gentle, patient and bearing others with love
We should not make the mistake of thinking that calling is just for a select few that is doing specific work
We all have a calling on our lives - to be a Christian is to be called!
Questions to ask ourselves about our calling
Calling is about understanding that I need to make a difference where God places me
It is about understanding that life is not about me, but that I am called to do more than just look after my own interests
Being a Christian is about understanding that God has a calling for me where I live my life
And to grow in this understanding, we can ask ourselves a few questions about our calling:
Why has God put me in this situation?
Where is God calling me to make a difference?
What can I do to make things better where I work?
How can I improve myself to be of more value where God has placed me?
Answers to these questions don’t have to be heavy spiritual
Martin Luther is known to have said: “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship”
We are not always called to put crosses on shoes
We are simply called to make sure that we do the best job in making the best shoes possible
Calling and life purpose
God calling us to live our lives to make a difference gives us purpose
We need to expand our thinking into understanding that our purpose in life is to bring glory to God in what we do
Every time someone’s life is impacted positively by what we do, we bring glory to God
In the movie “The call of the wild” (new releases on Netflix) there is a mailman that is delivering mail to the Yukon on a dog sled
And in one scene the mailman is saying these profound words: “we are not carrying mail, we are carrying lives”
This mailman understood something about calling
He understood that what he was doing was not just a job of delivering letters and making deadlines just to get paid
There was a passion and he understood what these letters meant to people living in the remote areas of the Yukon
Understanding that God is calling us in life, helps us to see everything we do in a new light
From the cleaning chores we do at home to the volunteer work we to the work I do for a living… I can do it prayerfully and as God to help understand that there is more to it than just completing tasks
What I do really makes a difference, like the story of the mailman…
Understanding that I am called, can really bring a new dimension everything I do
Living a life worthy of calling - intentionality
We need to think about calling in our lives - I need to ask myself continually: What is God calling me to do?
I need to understand that my life has impact on the world around me
I am called to make a difference through my influence in the circles where I live
Through the words of Paul, I am prompted to reconsider everything I do in light of the calling God has for me
I need to understand that I am called to live my life to the glory of God
I need to carefully consider God’s calling in everything I do
I need to remind myself that God has put me here for a reason
I need to discovery my purpose in life for what God has called me for
Today, I need to hear that I am urged to live a life worthy of the calling I have received!
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