Secure in the Calling

       The first time I saw him, he was sitting at the front of the sanctuary listening to the testimonies of some of the people in the congregation at my Wed. night church.  At the time, I didn’t know who he was, and a different man was speaking, so it wasn’t until the end of the service that we met and shook hands.  He was friendly and welcoming but I still didn’t know he was the pastor until I asked somebody.  He’s a quiet, thoughtful man with an intensity for the Lord that I really appreciate.

       By the next Wed. I saw that almost every person who attends that service participates in some way: praying, reading Scripture, testifying, on the worship team, taking offerings and even speaking.  It is rare to see that percentage of people involved in a service, but at the same time, there is an encouraging atmosphere to support it.  Eventually, Pastor asked me to sing on the team (obviously he’d never heard my voice J ) or maybe to speak some day.  Though it wasn’t my time to do that again, I waited and watched as he continued to encourage people to use their gifts and their testimonies to help others, and I thought…

        Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?  We all have gifts and talents that God has given us from birth, and from our new birth (Rom. 12:5-8), and since He gave them to us because it pleased Him (1Cor. 12:18), He expects us to use them.  “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Eph. 4:12)  “…the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Eph. 4:16 TLB)

       What I have come to realize is that this Pastor is secure in his calling from God.  Secure enough to allow others to freely use their gifts, sensible enough to understand we need teaching from many sources, and trusting the Lord enough to know that His will will be accomplished (Is. 14:24) in this congregation when all the parts of the body are functioning in harmony (1Cor. 12).  Every believer is called by the Lord (Rom. 1:6; 1Cor. 1:24) and we are assured that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)  And so we are to fulfill His purpose by using the gifts and talents given to us, and allowing others to do so in our lives.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, along with patience, accepting one another in love. Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit…  Eph. 4:1-3 ISV

       This is the way the body is supposed to work- in unity with each other, humbly and gently accepting one another and not worrying if someone else’s gift will outshine ours, or is better/ worse/ more spiritual/ fulfilling/ encouraging etc.  All we need to do is use the gifts God has given us and encourage others to do the same, secure that all will be done according to God’s purpose and plan in our lives. God declares, “…My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Is. 46:10; also Pr. 19:21)