Hi there! I’m Pastor Greg Hartmann and I’m praying that this blog series is allowing you to dive deeper into your faith. I’ve discussed a couple of different topics at this point and I want to continue to share what’s on my heart. This time I want to share how you can stay connected to your calling.
Do you ever feel like you aren’t sure what your purpose is? Or maybe you feel like you’re just going in circles?
We all have a calling in our lives. For some, that means a calling to vocational ministry. For others, it is a calling to work with children or animals. Your calling is a complicated thing and for the sake of simplicity, I am really going to focus on the calling to share Jesus. If you think that doesn’t apply to you, keep reading. I think you will be surprised to see what God says about that and how it applies to all Christ’s followers.
If you would like to check out any of the previous blogs, please visit the blog here.
Calling vs passion
A calling is not merely a passion. We all have things that we are passionate about. Maybe you just get so excited when someone brings up football and you can name every starting NFL Quarterback and what college they attended. You overhear someone in your office discussing the rapid changes in AI and your ears perk up because you just read a great blog about it and it’s all you can think about. So, you jump up and run to this conversation, that you were not a part of, because you are just obsessed with all things AI right now. Or, you get this great feeling of joy and happiness when you volunteer at your local animal shelter. Passion drives us to achieve great things. It helps us to profess our love to that special person. Passion makes you spend thousands of dollars to see Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Passion also helps us to make some not-so-great decisions. It can lead us to fits of rage or jealousy that hurt others.
One of the biggest contrasts between calling and passion is that passion can fade. It can start to lose its luster. Like that old Yankee candle that your grandmother has been burning for years. Eventually, that spark can dwindle so low that it doesn’t give off much heat or light. Your calling is so much more.
Calling Mr. Comfortable
Your passions can often be confused with a calling because we think our calling has to be something we enjoy or that we find relaxing. That just isn’t the case. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that our lives will be filled with ease and comfort. Following Christ means that we have to die to ourselves and submit to God’s will for our lives. The truth of the matter is that my calling to be a pastor has led me to the most difficult and uncomfortable times in my life. I tell people who are just starting out in ministry that if you can imagine yourself doing something else, then you should go do it.
Ministry is not for the faint of heart. You have to stay committed to what God is calling you. It is easy to get discouraged because Satan wants nothing more than to see you give up. When you are called to be in ministry it is exactly that. God is calling you. And you better answer when He does. Just ask Jonah what happens when you don’t answer God’s call. The mandate to share the Gospel supersedes my need to be comfortable.
Understanding your calling
Paul, the writer of Ephesians, addressed the calling on our lives. He said this:
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:1-3
See, Paul understood that the call on our lives is something worthy. That it’s important. He points out that his life is not his own. He is a prisoner for the Lord. Do you see yourself that way? Notice that he didn’t say, “If God calls you to do something but you would rather not then that’s okay.” No. He urges us to walk in a manner that is worthy to which we have been called. He is instructing us to put God’s will first. We are to be crucified with Christ. That doesn’t sound super comfortable. That sounds hard. And that’s because it is. Yet, Paul continues on and reminds us that we are to approach this calling with all humility, gentleness, and patience while bearing with one another in love.
Once you understand that we are all called to live our lives for Christ, everything becomes so much more clear. If we know the key to eternal life is Jesus, why are we not telling everyone we know?
A holy calling
Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, – 2 Timothy 1:9
Have you ever considered the fact that you are called to share the Gospel? I know so many of us think that is only reserved for someone who stands on a stage on Sunday but that’s not true. As a Christ follower, you may feel uncomfortable sharing your faith with others. You might think that isn’t your place but all Christians are responsible for sharing our faith. Jesus has entrusted each of us to share this good news that we have hope for an eternal life that is not based on our works but on His sacrifice. That news needs to be shared with everyone we meet.
The Apostle Paul tells us that it is a holy calling. It’s important to note that this calling has nothing to do with anything that we’ve done. God’s grace is the only reason we are able to participate. Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection are what allow us to even be part of this. He paid the debt of sin for us. Once we know Him we are then brought into the fold of His family and we can then partake in the holy calling.
His Kingdom is built through His followers, us, through sharing the Gospel message. This calling is your responsibility as much as it is mine. Now, please don’t get confused that we are responsible for people’s salvation. It is our calling to bring them the message. God will handle the rest. If I was responsible for saving people, that would be too much pressure for me to bear. And God knew that. Because we are human and we have sinned we needed a savior. Jesus, our Savior, was and is perfect. And because of that, we are now included in God’s plan of salvation.
Respond to the holy calling by finding your place to serve at VCKC. Visit our serve teams to learn more.
Fishers of men
Calling is rooted in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus calls his first disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This call is repeated throughout the Gospels as Jesus invites others to join him in his mission to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. The calling of Christ is not limited to a select few but is open to all who are willing to follow Him.
Earlier I talked about how passion can fade. That we can become tired of whatever our infatuation was about. The call to point others to Christ is a lifelong ask from the Lord. We have to continue to fish because we can’t lose sight of the mission. The world needs Jesus and all we have to do is just tell them about Him.
Discipleship
Discipleship is also a very important piece to staying committed to your calling. As disciples of Christ, we are called to follow him, learn from him, and obey his commands. With that comes a focus on pouring into other Christians. We all should have someone in our life that we can minister to. That can be your child, a coworker, a friend or literally anyone else you know who can benefit from your wisdom. When you disciple others you will see God work in your life like never before. It always amazes me the growth that you experience within your own walk when you are mentoring someone else in the ways of Christ.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Jesus knew that we would need to continue to grow in our understanding of Christ. Our brains are not capable of computing everything about God after just one encounter. It is a lifetime journey that we have to diligently work at. We don’t instantly become mature Christians because we say the Lord’s prayer. It takes time and discipleship.
A great way to get started with discipleship is to join a Life Group at VCKC! Find the perfect fit for you by visiting our life groups.
Staying committed
The best way to stay committed to our calling is through prayer and reading our Bibles. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But why is that so challenging?
Commitment has almost turned into a bad word in our society. Most people don’t want to commit to something because what if something better presents itself? We have been conditioned to not only run from commitment but to break it when we are. I’m here to tell you that there is no commitment that will fill you like the calling of Christ. He is able to take you places you never dreamed and provide for you in ways that you didn’t think possible.
Building God’s Kingdom is one of the most beautiful things you will ever be a part of. I know I said it earlier but the fact that God has entrusted us to do that just blows my mind. I can’t believe that He left it up to us to proclaim His mercy and goodness. We get to participate! We don’t just sit on the sideline and cheer. God uses us as a messenger and He gives us exactly what we need to participate.
Am I qualified?
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Time and time again we see in scripture where God used an ordinary person to do extraordinary things. Seemingly every major Biblical “hero” was someone who just said yes. And they didn’t all say yes immediately. Some of them had to go through various trials and difficulties. Some of them were thrown into lion’s dens and others were sold into slavery. But, all of them committed to their calling.
The next time you start to feel like you are not good enough or you feel discouraged in your calling, cry out to the Father. Ask Him to equip you with all that you need to continue. Open up your Bible and study His word. Listen to worship music or just simply think on His goodness and mercy.
Paul sat in a jail cell and encouraged other Christians with his words of wisdom. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den and he didn’t deny God. Joseph’s own brothers sold him into slavery and yet he forgave them and blessed their families in the end. In each of those situations, they stayed committed to living their lives for God. My prayer is that we all would have that same commitment and dedication to God’s call on our lives.
If you want to learn more about staying committed to your calling, please join us for our in-person worship on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 10, and 11:30. You can also watch the 10 am service live at VCKC.com.