God has already called…are you answering?

I once read a story about how some pigs lost their mother, but the farmer had a dog that was nursing her pups. So the farmer just let the piglets nurse with the pups. After the dog had weaned them, they would still sit up on their hind legs and beg for food! They may be confused but they are still pigs!  They had lost their calling!

Before we look at the last Chapter of Samson’s life, let’s stop and ask ourselves why do many lose their calling?

Let me offer this definition for “Called”:

To be what you are; all that you do is done to the glory of God.

For centuries in the church a person’s calling was all they were, however, at some point individuals began separating their “work” from their “calling.” This is not a concept that comes from Scripture. I do not know exactly when and where this came from…though I know the idea came from our adversary…however, it is clear when it began in the USA. 

During the Industrial Revolution work became God. In 1920 President Calvin Coolidge said this:

“The man who builds a factory builds a temple, the man who works there worships there, and to each is due, not scorn and blame, but reverence and praise.”

Sounds good politically but the outcome is disastrous! 

Henry Ford said:

“Thinking men know that work is the salvation of the race, morally, physically, socially." "Work is our sanity, our self-respect, our salvation. The day's work is the center of everything."

This is where work and “Calling” were separated. It then became that only the poor and most sacrificial have a calling; everyone else had a career.

Soon for many, life could be summed up this way:

"Work is worshiped, we play at worship and we work at leisure."

What has been the Cost?

(1) No more heroes: "When God is dead, heroes are dead"

Now people are well known for being “WELL KNOWN!” Even if their life is a mess, the young still admire and even copy their life style.

1 John 2:6  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

(2) Our relationship with our Maker became private:

Our thinking changed from being open about a relationship with God to…Polite people do not discuss politics, religion or sex in public.

John 18:20–21 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.”

In the USA morals publicly remained somewhat decent through peer pressure, but that changed drastically in the 1960's.

When we consider what we are and how should we approach life it should NOT be called to something BUT to Someone!

That was the secret of Joseph, no matter the circumstances he knew he was called to God, whether as a slave, a prisoner or a ruler!

Genesis 37:28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

        

Genesis 41:38–40 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”

Scripture calls us SALT and LIGHT

PROBLEM IS NOT: You are not WHERE you should be.

BUT: You are not WHAT you should be!

Jim Elliot  "We don't need a call to missions--we need a kick in the pants."

Why is Calling so important?

A. It gives us Focus. We are His saints!

Romans 1:7  to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

We approach our life with this question: How is what I am doing going to benefit the Kingdom?

B. It enables us to Stand Firm!

Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 16:22–23 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

C Single-mindedness of Purpose

1 Corinthians 9:19–22 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

Philippians 3:7–8 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

2 Corinthians 5:9–10 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Meditation: Do you see your vocation as something separate from your calling? Do you integrate your life or compartmentalize it? How can you check on that? Is there someone in your life that could help you access that? If not, Why?