Have you ever considered a calling? Something that spoke to you on a deep level and drew you to it. For you, perhaps it started at an early age, and you knew exactly where you wanted to go in life. Maybe you love art, and want to spend your entire life around it. No doubt you will spend time studying it, and might choose to pursue a degree in Art History. If you don’t already, you’ll probably take up painting as a hobby in order to understand the field better. Eventually, you might land a job at a museum, perhaps overseeing and directing the restoration of famous paintings. If you understand, pursue and obtain what you are called to in life, you are very fortunate. You’ll likely feel successful and fulfilled by the work you do and what you achieve. Not only that— you will have enjoyed the journey in getting there, despite the challenges faced along the way.

YOUR CALLING

While it’s important to consider what sort of career appeals to you, there’s another calling that is even more important. Jesus Christ speaks of it in Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” What does He mean by this? Is He simply stating that while you might feel drawn to something, maybe it isn’t really for you? Not at all. In verse 2 of this chapter, Jesus explains that He is talking about the Kingdom. Although God calls, or extends an invitation to the Kingdom of God, relatively few are chosen to be a part of it. Somehow, that doesn’t seem to reflect God’s nature, does it? That He would invite people—and that includes you—to be a part of His kingdom, have eternal life as a part of His family, and then at some point in their lives, indiscriminately pick and choose who He wants, leaving some out. Indeed, that is NOT how God does things. But to truly understand the calling of God, we need to understand something else first.

WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU?

Many people have a difficult time understanding what the will of God is. If a terrible tragedy occurs and there is a loss of life, some chalk it up to “the will of God.” If great triumph comes, others may point to the idea that it was predestined as “the will of God.” While God can and does influence some specific events, does God predestine every outcome of every person who has lived in the past, present and future? To believe this is the case, we’d have to take away man’s ability to choose. This of course flies in the face of Scripture. “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live,” (Deuteronomy 30:19). As the Lord explained clearly to ancient Israel, we must make a choice to follow Him and to respond to the calling He extends. At the end of this age, when Jesus Christ returns, note what is said about those who are counted with Him, “He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). Here another component is added to the message Jesus gave in Matthew 22: those who are called and chosen must be faithful. Go back to the idea of pursuing a career in art. Let’s say you were mildly interest in art, but never really pursued it. Oh, you liked it, looked at it in a book or two and maybe painted a few things in your lifetime. You never formally pursued an education in the field, never really worked to understand art and didn’t practice to improve your skills. To be honest, you never put the effort in it takes to have a career in art. Some might say you weren’t faithful to the discipline. Would it be realistic to expect a phone call one day asking you to become the chief curator of an art museum? Probably not . . . With that in mind, what is the will of God regarding the calling He has for you? Jesus tells us in John 6:40, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” God’s will is that you believe in Jesus and inherit eternal life! Jesus Christ states this very plainly and in no uncertain terms. But at the same time, there is something God requires from each and every one of us.

PUTTING IN EFFORT

Consider something Jesus said early in His ministry, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). We all want to become sons of God, but notice that it requires taking action. It says we are to be peacemakers: not just people who like the idea of peace or think it’s a good idea, but people who work actively to make peace in the way they conduct their lives. That’s just one example of a greater principle. In order to receive a reward—whether that be the job as a curator at an art museum or eternal life in the Kingdom of God, it takes work. This theme is emphasized throughout the Bible. Proverbs 6:6-8 tells of the ant who works hard to obtain its food. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 points out that “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” While you can by no means “earn” salvation, responding to God’s calling does require work. In order to inherit the kingdom of God—to receive the reward of our calling—effort is required on your part. So what sort of effort does pursuing the calling of God require?

A JOURNEY NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES

Consider what Christ says in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Notice again the concept of loving something (in this case, Christ, who personifies God’s way) is tied to a requirement to do something. While you probably have a good understanding of God’s basic laws such as the Ten Commandments, do you know what it means to keep them? “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22). Here, Jesus Christ explains that it’s not just our actions, but our thinking that has to be aligned with God. That, of course, is considerably harder than simply refraining from murdering someone. Taking it a step further, later in this same section of Scripture Christ expounds on what it really means to keep this particular commandment. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (verses 43-44). Wow. Not only is not killing someone not enough, we must learn to love those who hate us. Learning to understand and appreciate art well enough to get a good job in that field requires a lot of work. It means years of dedication and probably skipping a few social engagements to spend nights in a library or museum studying. But if art is truly what you love, that’s what you do. Similarly, if we love God and want to answer His call, we must do more than obey simple ‘do’ or ‘don’t’ commands. It requires a deep understanding of not only what they are, but why God wants us to keep them. That requires time and effort.

ANSWER THE CALL!

Answering the call Jesus spoke about is a lifelong journey. It requires work, not only to understand God’s commands, but why He gives each of them. The more we understand this, the more we understand what His will is for us through each stage of life. What you wind up doing for a career is totally up to you. You might be an artist, an accountant, an engineer or a homemaker. But make no mistake what your calling—your real calling— actually is. God wants you to have eternal life in His family! CC

Jesus Christ explains that it’s not just our actions, but our thinking that has to be aligned with God’s laws. That, of course, is considerably harder than simply refraining from murdering someone.

by Dan Preston

Dan began to feel the call of God as a teenager.