My Call to Go

{By Beth Roose}

I have been called to GO by the Master Designer of the universe. I will step out in faith and I will walk with joy the path set out for me.  When I fail to see the road or become discouraged in my own accomplishments, I will praise my God because He is perfect.  He is the embodiment of love and faithfulness.  Although I may not always be able to see the path, I know that He can.  Therefore, I will never stop pushing ahead, because I know that right beside me Jesus is guiding my every step.

As I go, I will strive to mirror my Companion in everything that I do; in the words I speak, and the words I don’t, as well as in the way that I listen.  This is not just because I am called to “Go and do likewise” or that I want to impress my Heavenly Father by the fact that I can keep up with His perfect Son, but because I LOVE Jesus with my entire being.   I look up to Him and treasure every second that He has spent with me—so much so that I want to show Him to others.  By reflecting His image, I hope that they may encounter and acknowledge this amazing God that I serve.

Moving forward in my race, I realize more and more that because I am a disciple of Christ – chosen by Him before the creation of the world—I must not only “make disciples of all nations,” but I must also help others begin their own race; teaching them about the unmatchable God that they serve, and helping them build their faith in a perfectly faithful God, so that they will not fear to step out when they are called.  Even though their faith may be small it can move mountains.

Finally, I run my race in peace.  I am not my own.  I was bought with a price that I cannot fathom.   Because of this great sacrifice, given for me, I am FREE.  By grace I now live.   Knowing that it is Jesus guiding my every step, I run my race in peace.  I now find my joy and passion in Him.  I fear nothing.  He is always by my side and I know that He will never leave me nor forsake me.  May I never forget this amazing love that has been poured out for me.

And now that I have told you all this, will you Go?  Or are you going to pause and count the costs?  But if you won’t go now, when will you go?

You have been called by the Master Designer of the universe, just as I have. So step out in faith and go somewhere.  Follow Christ’s lead and do as He does. Go and make disciples.  Most importantly go in peace, knowing that if God is for you who can come against you—and I promise you, God is definitely for you.

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Treasures in the Desert

{By Samantha Roose}

Recently, I have been reading “Hinds Feet on High Places.”  It’s a story of lame little Much-Afraid’s journey of faith in the Shepherd.  Shepherd has promised to take her to the High Places and on the way give her the feet of a deer.  After traveling several days the path turns, taking Much-Afraid down into a desert dashing her hopes—Shepherd had promised to take her to the High Places!  Exploring this book, yet again, I have found many similarities to my own journey with my Lord and Shepherd. 


The Lord has been revealing to me how much of my identity I find in having control (which is, I’m afraid, quite a bit).  Faithfully and gently, He has been bringing me to a spot of humble surrender, trust and reliance to Him.  It's hard because, like Much-Afraid, I feel that God is taking me down into a desert valley when He had promised that He would take me up.  I cannot see how this scorching plain with a few random and awkward pyramids is taking me to the promised place.  I can't see the end of this desolate and uncomfortable path.  Everything within me wants to run up the precipice despite the jagged impossibilities.  My heart cries and I wonder how long I can continue to look this way. 

It's then that He takes my hand and promises that this is not contradicting His promise in the slightest way.  How could someone as faithful as He go back on His word?  No, it is merely a postponement to teach me what I would otherwise be ignorant of forever.  Although my heart shrinks from this indefinite postponement, something within me breaks and I hear myself saying, "I will follow you, Shepherd, you have every right to choose the way that I should go no matter how backwards it seems." 

So we descend.  At first I cannot believe that I am actually, of my own free will, allowing myself to be taken so far away from my greatest dream and desire--the one hope I have clung to for so many years.  Suddenly I realize that we have entered the desert and I am surprise at our speed.  But I should not have been; it cannot be any less when I am relying on my Savior, who knows the way so well.

Once in the desert He leads me to the looming pyramids.  I follow Him inside grateful for His strong reassuring presence.  First He shows me where the wheat is prepared for making bread.  Each grain is bruised and beaten.  However, I find that they are not beaten forever.  As I watch more closely I am surprised to find that each variety of grain is ground in different methods according to its purpose.  Turning to me my Lord says, "in the same way you will not endure hardship and beatings forever, only for a time so that you can fulfill My highest purpose for your life.  And, just as each grain is ground in its own way so your beatings are not random, but specific because I know the things you need to be prepared for."

Entering another room my eyes fall upon a potter.  In his hands is a lump of clay.  I watch him cut it, knead it and finally shape it.  But as I am transfixed on the clever transformation I notice that the, now clay vessel was molded according to the potters desires, not the clay's whims.  "Can I not do with you as this potter does to this clay?"  My Lord asks placing His strong hand on my shoulder.  "Am I not as skilled as this craftsmen?" 

Gently leaning against His side I nod.  Words cannot express my welling emotions and swirling thoughts.  Besides, if I open my mouth I am likely to cry and who knows when I will be able to regain my composure.

My tour is not completed yet.  Opening the door for me, my Lord leads me into a large glowing room illuminated by a furnace.  Here gold is purified and dross is removed, but that is not all.  As I watch, crusty rough and seemingly invaluable stones are thrust into the scorching flames.  Awestruck I find that they are removed as sparkling precious gems, flashing as though they had received the fire into their souls.  How my heart pounds to be like those ugly rocks, transformed by intense fire. 

Interrupting my thoughts I hear His voice, "this is where I purify and prepare My rarest and most precious jewels."  And He leads me out.

Our pace is slow and thoughtful.  There is nothing to break the silence between us except the wind which stirs up and occasional flurry of sand as proof of its existence. Still I cannot see a horizon or any promise that this desert detour will somehow lead me to the hoped for promise, but my heart has become peaceful and content here.  I cannot endure indefinite postponement, beatings and bruising, cuttings and kneading, chiseling and fire unless there is hope for something better.  Surprisingly, that is the exact mystery which my Lord has revealed to me in this desolate desert—my heart is ready to follow.

My Lord enters the tent and I linger outside.  Although ready to follow my heart is still a swirl of emotions and thoughts as vast and tumultuous as a stormy sea.  Walking around the tent I catch the slightest glimpse of a color.  As I kneel I feel the warm sand scatter beneath me creating perfectly shaped cups for my knees.  Brightly and courageously stands a single flower.  I marvel at her willingness to live in such a place where there is no assurance of the next rain, yet she cheerfully stands confident that the One who planted her here will provide whatever she needs in due time. 

Acceptance with Joy is her name.  Sitting back on my heels I sigh and look up to the sky.  Tears travel down my face and a gentle breeze hits plays with my hair.  Can I not be as this flower, Acceptance with Joy?  Who am I to think that my Savior, my Shepherd and my Lord does not know what He is doing.  If the flower can bloom so joyfully and faithfully with no hope of rain, can I not delight in this desert while walking through it with my Shepherd?   Resolving to become Acceptance with Joy, I bend forward and take in the scent of this rare flower which has given me so much hope, etching its memory in my mind.

Ducking beneath the flaps of the tent I glimpse my Lord sitting but looking as if He had been watching and waiting for me.  I sit down close to Him amongst His pile blankets and pillows.  Meekly I begin, placing my hand on His great big one and looking up into His face, "I will trust You my Lord.  I will follow You.  Lead me where You would have me go as long as You choose.  I love You and trust You." 

My eyes begin to glisten as I let go of MY hopes and MY dreams.  I do love and trust Him.  Smiling feebly I finish, "I am Your handmaiden, Acceptance with Joy."

Gently, He reaches out and pulls my head to lie on His shoulder.  All is quiet for a time.  Then in His still small voice He spoke words I will never forget, "The trust in your eyes is the most beautiful thing on earth.  Beholding the trust in your eyes is more beautiful and precious to me than the loveliness of many queens."

I am unsure of what has happened since that time which is probably due to the fact that I am still in the desert and have yet to journey out of it.  But this I know: it is not nearly as desolate now as when I first entered.  Although the desert valley may appear ugly and foreboding to many, it has become a treasure chest to me.  I love being grown and changed by my Lord even when it hurts, because I am confident and secure in the fact that He IS faithful and will not give me more than I can handle.            

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A Severe Mercy

{By Taylor Eckel}

No book had ever made me cry. When I read A Severe Mercy, I wept.

Although the story centers around the life of Vanauken and Davy, the themes in the book transcend their personal story, and even their lives. From the beginning of their relationship, the Vanaukens deliberately cultivated a very thorough paradigm of love, beauty, truth, and longing for eternity that underwent a major evolution after their individual conversions to Christianity. “We saw self as the ultimate danger to love, which it is; we didn’t see it as the ultimate evil of hell, which it also is,” Vanauken writes about their pre-conversion worldview.

Vanauken’s story is much more philosophical than a typical autobiography, yet his narrative is anything but dry. The eloquent prose reflects his background as a literature professor and an amateur poet. Throughout the book he lapses into the third person to convey his thoughts, abstracting himself from his ideas in a way that allows the readers to easily follow his reasoning. This detached treatment of ideas provides contrast to his personal struggle to internalize those ideas, and ultimately, to surrender himself to God.

A few years into their marriage, the Vaunakens moved to Oxford for Sheldon’s studies. Their time close acquaintance with a group of serious Christians there inspired them to study the faith they had previously rejected. They greatly admired the work of C.S. Lewis, and “on an impulse” Sheldon wrote to Lewis about his struggle to accept Christianity. Their subsequent correspondence was instrumental in Vanauken’s conversion, after which Lewis became a trusted mentor and lifelong friend, and they maintained a lively correspondence even after the Vanaukens returned to America. Many of the letters Sheldon received from C.S. Lewis are interspersed throughout the latter half of the book, and provide Lewis’s characteristic depth of wisdom.

After the Vanaukens returned to America, Sheldon struggled with the realization that their love must be subject to Christ. Early in their relationship and prior to their conversion, the Vanaukens described their love for each other as the Shining Barrier--  “It was our love itself, made strong within” that was their ultimate good and would transcend even death. After their conversion it pained Vanauken to see his wife following Christ above her love for him.

“I didn’t want us to be swallowed up in God,” he wrote, “I wanted holidays from the school of Christ. We should, somehow, be able to have the Shining Barrier intact and follow the King of Glory. I didn’t want to be a saint. Almost none of this did I consciously know– just longings. But for Davy, to live was Christ.”

Vanauken’s struggle is the universal struggle of all Christians attempting to live out Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Vanauken’s frank disclosure of his idolatry shocked me. But I was not so shocked by his sentiment, but by the realization that his words resonated with something deep within me. Convicted, I cried over the unsurrendered loves in my own heart.

“God in His ample love embraced our love with, it may be, a sort of tenderness, and we must tread the Way to Him hand in hand,” Vanauken writes. But God did not intend for Sheldon and Davy to tread hand in hand for very long. Recalling Davy’s illness and death, Vanauken writes of himself, “He had had– was having-- all the sorrow there was. And yet, the joy was worth the pain.”

I cried again when I read of the joy in pain, the hope of life everlasting in Christ, and the depths of Vanauken’s devotion to his wife.

Lewis was instrumental in helping Vanauken understand the goodness of God in Davy’s death. The richness of their correspondence after her death– pondering God’s goodness, musing about eternity– was refreshing after the emotional intensity of Vanauken’s loss. The book’s title comes from a letter from Lewis, who described Davy’s death as a “severe mercy” from God.

The strength of Vanauken’s faith is remarkable. He writes, “I cannot escape the impression that Somebody was being very gentle with us. Perhaps she had to die– for me, for our dear love, for God.” Elsewhere he reflects, “...it was for me, despite grief and aloneness, worth it.”

I wept again, praying for a faith that could say– no matter the trials it endured– “it was for me, worth it.”

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New Year, New... You?

{by Rachel Coker}

Every time the year rolls to an end, I start to thinking. Call it making resolutions, or planning changes, but it usually involves resolving to be a better person. This is the year I am going to work out. Like every single day. Or stop procrastinating (I am just now realizing the irony of putting this off as a New Year’s Resolution). Or memorize an entire book of the Bible. I always set out with the absolute best of intentions. I tell myself that I can do this. With enough resolve and determination, I know that I will succeed!

Obviously this year started out the same way. Me pumping myself up to do this or that. Getting ready to make some permanent changes. To finally bite the bullet and work at it. But you know what happened? Nothing, that’s what. I’ve already messed up on all of my resolutions to be a better person. And it’s only three weeks into the New Year!

I was sitting on my bed yesterday and I just about had a breakdown. I had started this year out with so many hopes and expectations, none of which had come true. I wasn’t a better sister, or daughter, or a happier person. I was still the disgruntled, imperfect sixteen-year-old I’d been three weeks ago. No matter how hard I tried, I just failed over and over again. My attempts just weren’t good enough.

While I was wallowing in my own self-pity, I realized something very important: I am never going to make myself a better person. At first I wanted to smack myself in the forehead and let out a: “Duh!”, but then the truth of that statement sunk in. The reason why my attempts at self-improvement are always failing is because I am a sinful human being whose heart is bent toward the worse, not the better. No matter how much my head wants to be sweet and loving, my sin nature wants to be rebellious and dishonest.

It kind of hurt to admit that. To come to a point where I could really grasp that all my hopes for improvement were in vain, if I didn’t have the ability to make them come true. I had to get to a place where I stopped looking to myself for all the answers, and started looking to God.

Our sermon at church last Sunday was on Jeremiah 18. God is the potter, we are the clay. In Jeremiah 18:6, the Lord says to Israel, “Look, as clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.” It’s the same for me. My life is in the hands of God. It doesn’t matter how much I try to squeeze myself and mold myself into a certain shape, I won’t be able to change until I cry out to God. Only then will He take me and shape me, making me into the woman He wants me to be. And it will probably hurt, as His fingers prod the clay and take away the defects, smoothing out all the lumps and mistakes. But the end result will be beautiful. So much more so than anything I could have done myself. Because it will be His will for me. God will form me according to His plans for my life in 2012.

So does that mean I’m done with the crazy fad dieting and exercising that comes along with trying to be a better person? Well, maybe not. But I do know this: I want 2012 to be the year that I start trusting in the Lord to make me a better person. I want it to be the year that I remember as the time in my life where God met me on my knees, and turned my life around. The year when my number one focus was Him, and Him alone. I know that changes don’t happen overnight, and that the Lord moves in mysterious ways, but my prayer is for Him to move in my life this year. And then, no matter what trials or triumphs might come along, I’ll honestly be able to say that 2012 was a successful year.

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Living is What Matters: A Journal Entry

{by Rachel Roose}

The sound of geese honking resounded in my ears as I leaned back in my chair meditating on Luke chapter twenty-one.

...Flipping to a blank page in my journal I began to write:

O Lord, I really enjoy listening to Your geese honking outside.  They make me happy! Dear Jesus, I loved the verses 14-15, & 19: ¹⁴ But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁹ By standing firm you will gain life.

I will work hard not to worry but to trust You, to depend on You to fill me with wisdom for alone I am helpless, I am nothing but with You I can stand firm. Your wit far surpasses that of anyones deepest imagination. Your wisdom is not to be grasped. Your thoughts are profound and Your words a precious to me. I love You. By Your strength I will stand firm and by Your wisdom I will gain life.

Then I felt Him say: Rachel My daughter, this truth is so good. I’m so glad to hear you repeating it. Remember it is much easier to say than to do, you may know it but it is living it that matters. So be on your guard, always be ready, never let Me out of the front of your mind. Rachel, My strength and truth can arm you even today. I know you do not see anyone coming to persecute you, but through the simple things like when one of your younger siblings really irritates you. Pray to Me I will give you the right answer- this will save you from many quarrels and fill your home with much more joy and peace.

Rachel Roose is homeschooled along with her 7 brothers and 3 sisters.  She is passionate about one day serving the Lord by opening her arms to orphans.  Whether teaching dance, painting, running with her sister and mom, or preparing for the future, her aim is to encourage others to experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

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Discourse on Being Called {Part 2}

{by Katrina Rebsch}

Upon my arrival home after a busy semester, with plenty of time on my hands for Bible study, I decided to dive into a study of this word, “calling” (and its derivatives) to really get an understanding of Scripture on this topic.

My discoveries have been nothing short of fascinating!

First of all, I looked up every reference to the terms “calling,” or “called” in the New Testament.  Then, based on these verses, I compiled the following lists:

What is our calling as Christians?

(the order as read in the New Testament)

-  Called to be saints, “the called of Jesus Christ”

-  Called according to His purpose (first foreknown, then predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, then called, then justified, then glorified)

-  Called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ

-  Called into the grace of Christ

-  Called unto liberty

-  Called in one hope of our calling

-  Called in one body

-  Called unto His kingdom and glory

-  Called unto holiness

-  Called to glorify the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in us according to His grace

-  Called by the Gospel

-  Called to eternal life

-  Called and saved with a holy calling according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

-  Called of a heavenly calling

-  Called out of darkness into His marvelous light

-  Called to follow His steps who did no sin (even in the face of suffering)

-  Called unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus

-  Called to glory and virtue

-  Called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb

Categorized by preposition:

-  Called out of darkness into His marvelous light

-  Called of a heavenly calling

-  Called of Jesus Christ

-  Called by the Gospel

-  Called in one hope

-  Called in one body

-  Called according to His purpose (first foreknown, then predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, then called, then justified, then glorified)

-  Called and saved with a holy calling according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

-  Called to be saints

-  Called to glorify the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in us according to His grace

-  Called to follow His steps who did no sin (even in the face of suffering)

-  Called to glory and virtue

-  Called to eternal life

-  Called into the grace of Christ

-  Called unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ

-  Called unto liberty

-  Called unto His kingdom and glory

-  Called unto holiness

-  Called unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus

-  Called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb

**********

It is very interesting to me to note that based on the majority of verses in the New Testament, the Biblical usage of this term “calling” is quite different than how we commonly use it today (i.e. specific vocation/ministry/task).  From these verses, we see that the term is always and only used to refer to believers; who we are called to be in Christ, how He calls us to live, what we are called to do (in a general sense), and where we are called to go when we leave this planet.  It is noteworthy to mention that these callings are always by God, for God, to God, and through God.

Now, is it wrong to use the term “calling” to refer to a specific task or position?  No.  There is certainly Scriptural reference of this definition as well.

New Testament references to a specific calling:

-  Barnabas and Saul were separated for a specific work the Holy Ghost called them unto. (Acts 13:2-3)

-  Through a vision, the Lord called for Paul and Barnabas to preach unto the people of Macedonia.  (Acts 16:9-11)

-  Paul noted that he was called to be an apostle, and later stated, “He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling...according to His own purpose and grace...whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” (Romans 1:1-7, 1 Cor. 1:1-3)

-  Aaron was called of God to be the first high priest. (Hebrews 5:1-5)

-  Abraham was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance. (Hebrews 11:8)

As I thought about other people who were specifically called by God for a specific task here is the list I came up with:

-   Noah

-   Moses

-   Joshua

-   Samuel

-   Isaiah

-   Jeremiah

-   Ezekial

-   Jonah

-   Mary of Nazareth

-   The 12 apostles

There were probably others that I’m just not remembering, but it is interesting to note that the people called in Scripture by the Lord for a specific task were relatively few in number.  However, we see in the New Testament that all of us believers are called to be saints, to be in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to walk in holiness and liberty, to fulfill God’s purposes for us, to glorify the Name of Jesus Christ in us.  I believer that inherit within this calling, therefore, is the call to obey the Lord’s commands which include loving God wholeheartedly, making disciples of all nations, being witnesses unto Him, preaching the Gospel to every creature, doing good works, visiting the fatherless and widow, raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and so much more.  Granted, some men are specifically given the instruction by God to be pastors or evangelists in a vocational sense (Ephesians 4:11), but I believe that all Christians should be involved in ministry and obedience to the Great Commission no matter where they live and no matter what they do to earn a paycheck.  Our “calling” is the same; to glorify the Name of Christ and engage in Kingdom work.

*********

Here are some other thoughts I scribbled down in my study of this topic:

There is a difference between our calling as Christians and our spiritual gift/measure of grace given.  One is general and one is specific.

There is a difference between having a desire for being or doing something and having a calling to that same thing.  Let’s not get the two confused and say that God called me to a particular work simply because I have the desire to go and do it.  Nothing wrong with such a desire; the Bible makes it clear that when you “delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart.” 

I propose that to have a calling to a particular work means that God specifically spoke to you.  In the Bible, He always did it vocally, whether through a dream, a Damascus road experience, a burning bush, etc.  However, now we have the Word of God as our guide.  I therefore believe that it is possible to receive a specific calling of God through His Word speaking to one’s heart, as a result of a sermon heard, or through a distinct impression that He is speaking to your Spirit.

Sometimes, God’s calling to a particular place or work will be temporary.  Such was the case with Paul and Barnabas being called to preach to the people in Macedonia.  They did not devote the rest of their lives to that place.  They simply followed God’s calling there and then when the work was finished, they moved on to the next location as God led. 

Sometimes, God will lead and give direction but I don’t know that it is right to use the word calling in such a context.  Nevertheless, there would seem to be overlap in the two ideas.

 **********

Now, what about women?  I’ve often heard it said that a woman’s highest calling is to be a wife and mother.  I am not arguing with the intended meaning behind this statement; that being a wife and mother is a noble and honorable position and one to be embraced with wholehearted enthusiasm.  However, if a woman remains unmarried and yet “cares for the things of the Lord” all during this time, does that mean she is living a “lower” calling?  Women like Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Gladys Aylward, and Corrie ten Boom come to mind.  I agree that women were created to be the helpmeet of the man and that this is the normative pattern God has established for women.  Nevertheless, there are those who never do for a host of various reasons.  Was their life a waste?  A mere shadow of what it could have been if they had married?  Did they miss their high calling?

What about women, whether young or old, who may eventually get married, but for right now, they are in the season of being unmarried?  During this season, are they living according to a “low calling” while they bide their time waiting for God’s choice in a husband so they can live the “high calling” of being a wife and mother?

Do you see how this word can get us in trouble?  If we stick to the Bible’s use of the word “calling” we will see that all Christians, men or women, young or old, married or unmarried, share the same calling from God.  Forgive me if I seem repetitive, but it bears repeating!  We are all called out of darkness into His marvelous light, called by the Gospel, called to the fellowship of Jesus Christ, called to His Kingdom and glory, called unto liberty, called unto holiness, called to glorify the Name of Christ in our very beings, called to eternal life.  It doesn’t get any higher than that. 

So back to women specifically.  “The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit.” (1 Corinthians 7:34)  It’s a statement of fact that communicates the Lord’s will for an unmarried woman.  Therefore, the unmarried woman who is living according to this verse is living according to the specific purpose God has laid forth for her and is bringing Him glory!  That is what it’s all about, right?

The married woman, on the other hand, “cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.”  We know from other passages that God’s will for married women is to bear children, guide the house, love their husbands, love their children, be keepers at home, and obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed and that the adversary have none occasion to speak reproachfully.  This is God’s stated purpose for married women; that’s not to say they don’t “care for the things of the Lord” as an unmarried woman, but simply that the way they care for the things of the Lord is different, with a focus on husband and children that an unmarried woman simply doesn’t have. 

 **********

Conclusion

So, back to the original question that started this whole journey.  Should I marry a man that has the same calling in life as myself?  That would depend on how the word calling is defined.

YES, I should marry a man who is called by the Gospel of God to be a saint, called to the fellowship of Jesus Christ, called to glory and virtue, called to holiness and liberty, called to His kingdom, called to glorify the Name of Christ.

Does he have to be a missionary going to South America to work with orphans? 

NO.  This is the vocational work God has led me to pursue at this moment as an unmarried woman, but it is not a pre-requisite that my future husband must share this same pursuit.  If God allows me to marry one day, my role will be to serve as the helpmeet of my husband; to go where he goes, to support and enable him to be all he can be in whatever vocation he chooses or is called to and in his role as leader of the family.  While I will still seek to make disciples in obedience to the Great Commission, my first and most important disciples will be my children.  And Lord willing, our family will strive together to view ministry as a life-style.

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”   2 Peter 1:10-11 

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Discourse on Being Called

{by Katrina Rebsch}

During my time at the Rio Grande Bible Institute’s language school program last year, I was challenged inwardly by a statement I heard on more than one occasion: “Make sure you marry someone who has the same calling in life as you do.” 

At first, when I heard that counsel, it made sense to me and I agreed with it.  But the more I pondered it in my heart, the more questions and doubts I had.

“What is my calling?

“I’ve said for many years, I am called to be a missionary.  Does this mean I should marry a missionary?  I’ve often said I will only marry a missionary or someone involved in full-time ministry.  But what exactly is the definition of a missionary?  What is full-time ministry?  Is it really my job as the woman to have as a pre-requisite that the man who marries me shares my calling?   The woman is supposed to be the follower; not the leader!  So, doesn’t it make more sense to follow his calling? But what if his calling isn’t in missions?  Do I give it up for the sake of being his wife?  Or what if he starts out in full time ministry and then changes gears and works a secular job?  Of course, if I was his wife, I would follow him wherever; even if it meant leaving a foreign field and living in America again.  So if this is my attitude in the middle of marriage, shouldn’t this be my attitude before even entering a marriage?  That it doesn’t matter so much what he does as who he is?”

Around and around these thoughts swam.

When I was in the beginning stages of a courtship with a young man at the beginning of the school year, a trusted friend challenged me with the question, “Are you attracted to this guy because of his vocational choice of being a pastor in South America?  What if one day he says, ‘God has told me to stop being a pastor and to open a tortilla factory.’ Then what?  If you could see the future and knew this would eventually happen, does it change your feelings for him now?  In other words, are you attracted to this guy because of his connection to the Latino culture and his desire to be in ministry or because of who he is as a person?  Are you ready to be this guy’s helpmeet no strings attached?” 

Well, as it turned out, we called the courtship off due to the discovery of several major, irreconcilable differences we had.  However, I continued to ponder the counsel of my friend in future months.

I remember my brother-in-law, Nathan (who is a missionary in Ukraine), asking a similar question to my sister during their courtship.  “If there would ever come a time when God would move us out of ministry in Ukraine and back to the United States, how would you feel about that?”  My sister wisely stated, “When I marry you, I will go where you go.  I am excited about ministering in Ukraine, but my first ministry will always be to my family...no matter where God takes us.” 

Of course, I agree with that statement!  So again, I asked myself, “If that would be my same response to a hypothetical situation after getting married, could I have that same attitude before getting married?  That it doesn’t matter what this man is doing for a living or where he is located, because vocations and locations could change.  It matters who this person is; his relationship with the Lord, his character...because once I marry him, he becomes my main ministry.”  It made sense. 

Nevertheless, I couldn’t escape the fact that despite these revelations, I still found a person who wanted to be in “full-time ministry” more attractive than a person who was going to be a plumber or an accountant. 

I brought this topic up for discussion with a married couple on campus who had become close friends and mentors for me...just to get their perspective on the issue.  The first question out of the man’s mouth was, “Well, what is ministry?”  Bingo!  Exactly!  That was the same question I had been wrestling with.  They encouraged me, when considering a fellow as a potential spouse, to really examine his life.  A person living in “full-time ministry” is one who has a heart to serve the Lord wherever he finds himself in life, one who will be faithful to share Christ with the people around him, whether he works an office job or preaches from a pulpit in a church several times a week.

A missionary is not only someone who receives his paycheck from a mission board or supporting churches; nowadays, there are many “missionaries” who earn their own “support” working in foreign countries on business visas.  They are called “vocational missionaries” and do this either because the country is closed to blatant Gospel work and the only way to get in is under a secular job title, or because they’re not necessarily cut out to be preachers or church planters, but they still want to use their occupational specialty to further the kingdom of God (i.e. graphic design, communications, construction, etc.).  So are vocational missionaries not real missionaries because they work a regular job and do ministry on the side?  Of course not!  We know the story of Priscilla and Aquilla in the New Testament who were tent-makers as well as ministers of the Gospel and helpers to Paul. 

So that then raises the question, what about people in America who work regular jobs, but who share Christ at the office, who preach on the streets, or who participate in children’s ministry at their church on a regular basis?  Does this “count” as full-time ministry?  What about those, like I’m acquainted with, who work at Care Net Pregnancy Center, or Compassion International, or the Rio Grande Bible Institute?  Whether their salaries come from the ministry itself or from supporting churches, are some considered  more “true-blue” missionaries than others?

Around our strawberry shortcake that night, my friends helped me to understand that ministry is a way of life; not a place, not a job title, not the activities that fill one’s day. 

So, it’s not wrong to be attracted to a fellow who is involved in ministry, because this shows his heart for the Lord and kingdom work!  It is important, however, to hold the right definition of ministry and not narrow it down simply to a vocation: traditional missionaries on the foreign field, evangelists, and pastors.  Because, as we said before, vocations could change. 

In considering a young man as a potential spouse, I need to look at his life.  If he works a regular job, is his interest only in making money and living “The American Dream?”  Obviously, such a focus is completely opposite from a lifestyle of ministry.  If, on the other hand, his job is simply his launching place to sharing about Christ with others, his way of making money to provide for his family and to support kingdom work around the world, that is a ministry lifestyle.  Of course, his convictions on family life need to be taken into consideration as well if I truly want someone whose first ministry will be his family.  Which I do.  Very much.

As the semester continued, puzzle pieces started falling into place about this whole topic of one’s “calling.” 

As I continued pondering these things in my heart, it occurred to me that the very first work God gave the very first man to do was “secular”...if you want to call it that.  He told Adam to tend the garden and name the animals as part of the dominion mandate.  Now, obviously, this was before other people lived on earth and therefore there was no need for “ministry” to bring others to know the Father.  Nevertheless, it struck me that Adam’s obedience to this vocational work God had given him to do brought God great pleasure.  And isn’t that what the purpose of life boils down to anyway?  Glorifying God?

So is God more glorified by a person who works a job as a chemical engineer in Massachusetts or one who directs an orphanage in Africa?  Good question.  I would propose that the vocation itself doesn’t necessarily bring God pleasure; it’s the person and his attitude, and his motive that determines whether or not God is glorified.  Granted, there are specific commands in Scripture we are given to obey and the Bible does exhort us to invest in works that are equated with gold, silver, and precious stones rather than wood, hay, and stubble.  But my point is that God is not necessarily impressed with one vocation over another.  He is looking for men whose hearts are perfect toward Him, who love Him and follow Him and proclaim Him no matter what job they work. 

So if God is not impressed with one vocation over another, why am I?  I guess because in the circles I have been discipled in, the vocation of pastor or missionary has been promoted so much, I tend to think of these jobs as being the highest and best for a Christian.  True, those who pursue such paths tend to have the same desire to live in the light of eternity as I do, and this also influences my attraction toward those who have chosen this vocational pursuit.  However, there are many, many Godly people who are not working as a pastor or missionary and still living in the light of eternity!  How important that I don’t put the kind of husband I want into a vocational box!

The last missionary club meeting of the school year seemed to solidify many of these swirling thoughts into a concrete understanding.  The topic was on one’s calling.  Coincidence?  I think not.  I don’t remember a whole lot of what the speaker shared but this one statement claimed my attention: “Our calling in life is this: to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and to bring Him glory.”

That sure simplifies things!  It makes so much sense!  Why was I getting all caught up in the idea of a calling being primarily vocational?  My calling is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and to bring Him glory.  Anything else I do with my life is extra, and should be founded on this calling.

Sometimes, God has to take us back to the clear-cut basics to slice through the fog of all the extras.

The speaker pointed out that on various occasions throughout Scripture, God did call certain people to specific tasks.  Noah.  Abraham.  Moses.  Paul.

So, can a calling involve a certain vocation or specific task?  Yes.  Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that our foundational calling is that of having a relationship with the Lord.

Upon my arrival home after a busy semester, with plenty of time on my hands for Bible study, I decided to dive into a study of this word, “calling” (and its derivatives) to really get an understanding of Scripture on this topic.

My discoveries have been nothing short of fascinating!

check out what Katrina discovered in Part 2, coming soon...

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