A woman in a past church sang a painful solo at a church meeting. If she considered singing for a career, someone may have corrected her. Instead, though single, she fostered a dozen plus children.
I don’t remember the number, but it boggled my mind. She gave them a home because she saw a need. She took no bows and her kids loved her. I doubt she considered it a calling. But God’s true plans for her surpassed a lukewarm singing career.
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Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. ...
Lord, help us to embrace your calling for our lives with equal parts fervor, wisdom, and humility.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
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To use our gifts, we must first discover them. 1 Peter 4:11 points to fervor, wisdom, and humility as indicators.
Fervor
I watched Priscilla Shirer do a short sermon on revival. It lifted me off the ground. Click on her name to view the video. She spoke the very words of God. She illustrates her love of God with fervor.
Merriam-Webster: fervor: intensity of feeling or expression. If you have no excitement about what you believe God called you to do, God isn’t calling. Do you want to please family? Or earn respect?
Wisdom
Or you ache to serve God—do anything—for Him. Newly saved, I remember the frantic need to get started. But baby Christians don’t have the wisdom, or knowledge. I followed Word Faith at first. I thought I won the spiritual lottery. God “promised” to heal my disease and give me wealth. If I prayed for healing and the patient died (my brother-in-law died after my fervent prayer for his healing), I didn’t have enough faith. I failed.
Later I discovered the Lord gives us our measure of faith. We can’t conjure up a magical supply. God didn’t fill my bank account either. He blessed me with enough. I saw people leave the church because they believed God didn’t keep His promises (which He never made).
Now, thirty-five years later, after reading the Bible, I see the nonsense in that theology. The Bible tells us we will suffer. I waded through other misunderstood beliefs before being corrected.
That’s the short list of stepping out too soon. You won’t last. When the going gets tough, the tough get going—and the weak-willed disappears.
When the Lord gets ready to use us, He walks beside us. We ask, “Lord, what should I do in this case? How do I do it? Should I spend this money?” and we will receive an impression or certainty. We solve problems beyond our normal intellect. Necessary money materializes. Doors open.
He visits in dreams. In rare instances, He speaks to us. Paul heard His voice and went from persecutor to follower in a split second.
Humility
Christ gives us our worth. When we understand that, we lean on Jesus. Ministries start based on our abilities, and our pride causes us to fall.
Humiliated, we return to God and ask Him what we did wrong. His answer?
Wait.
Dear Lord, help me wait on you, meanwhile doing my best every day..
