What it Looks Like to Live Our Calling as Christians
As Christians, each of us has one primary purpose. Our calling is to share with others the good news that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don’t quite understand. Yes, pastors and teachers are to take this calling a little further, but this is a bond that each of us shares.When I first realized that I had a passion for writing about Scripture in a way that inspired others, I couldn’t wait to get my act together enough to pursue this desire weighing so heavy on my heart. I would fill page after page in multiple journals that I knew God would use to speak to others. I would fill up every page, and then the notebook would go in a box. Eventually, I would be good enough to start living out this calling.
My Dilemma With Our Calling
I had my past, and I was still ashamed. The best words that could be used to describe the person I was were a drunk and deadbeat dad. I moved from northern Indiana to Florida. I wanted to start over at a faith-based recovery home for men who suffered from alcoholism. Both the Bible and a personal relationship were new to me. I couldn’t wait to share the feeling with everyone else. The only problem was, I was afraid of my past.
Related Post: Does The Past Impact Our Understanding Of The Bible?
In the couple of years that have passed since the first four or five notebooks, I have met more people than I can count. They share these very same thoughts that the enemy uses against us. We want to carry out this calling, but there hasn’t been enough time that has passed. We think we need more time to grow and develop into someone worthy of carrying the message. There’s just one problem with this idea.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” - John 4:39
This is the result of the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In case you are unfamiliar with the story, this woman wasn’t exactly the “churchy type.” She had a particular sin that had been a recurring issue throughout her life. Her past wasn’t a secret, the people in her community knew it. She had built quite the reputation for herself throughout the years. Not exactly the one you would talk about with your mother. But, she shared our calling.
Faith in Action
She was able to find Jesus at the well and immediately returned to the town she lived in. She shared the good news. Her focus was not needing to attend a certain number of church services first. It wasn’t a requirement for her to read and memorize specific verses throughout Scripture. She simply experienced the presence of Jesus in her life. Right away she started sharing it with the people she learned to avoid, because of what they thought about her. As a result, many Samaritans were able to experience a relationship with Jesus.