Proverbs 20.24
“A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?”
Romans 8.28
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
At the core of the Christian life is the incredible reality that God personally calls you to himself, redeems you through Jesus, and then sends you back into the world as an agent of his kingdom. The Lord saved you to send you. As Paul says in Romans 8, you are “called according to his purpose.”
Think deeply about that truth. It reveals the “why” of everything you do. The Lord has chosen you as a vessel to do things in the world. He is working in you and through to accomplish his kingdom purposes. I love what 2 Timothy 2.20-21 says about this: “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
Why live an honorable, Christ-centered life? Why be an agent of the kingdom? Why be obedient to the Lord’s standards? There are three reasons:
#1 God demands it. We should live honorable, obedient lives because that is what our Master commands us to do. He is our Creator and Redeemer, and we belong to him. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6.19-20)
#2 Your family and friends deserve it. In many places we are directed by scripture to love and serve our families. Husbands and wives are told to love one another and submit to one another. Parents are told to love their children, and provide guidance, wisdom, and discipline. Indeed, Ephesians says that the relationship between husband and wife is a symbol of Christ and the church. Romans 13.8 spells it out in very direct terms: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
#3: The world desperately needs it. We live in a broken world. A world that is devoid of light and has lost its way. The Lord sends you into that world to be light in the midst of the darkness; salt in the midst of the decay; hope in the midst of the despair; courage in the midst of the cowardice; clarity in the midst of the chaos. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2.9)
It is an incredible truth. The Creator, the great God of the universe, has called you to himself and now seeks to work through you to minister to others. He has chosen you to be one of his representatives in the world. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5.20)
Consider the implications. There are people that God wants to touch through you. There are things God wants to do in the world through you. There are problems God wants to fix in the world through you. There are messages God wants to communicate to the world through you.
It’s possible that God is calling you to do big, dramatic, transformational things; but probably not. The primary calling of God is the small, steady, daily stuff. Trust him. Do your work with excellence. Love and serve your family. Bring positive energy to everything you do. Engage people with truth and love. Be patient and persistent. When the opportunity arises, challenge the darkness, the decay, the despair, and the chaos. And do it with wisdom. “Be quick to listen, and slow to speak and slow to anger.” (James 1.9)
This is clarity of purpose. This is your “why” every day. It should supercede and direct all other goals and plans you may have.
I pray that you hear and respond to God’s call on your life.
