“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, …” Colossians 1:1 (bold and underlining added)…….
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Cor. 4:7…………….
The last thing in the world I ever would have expected would be that the Lord would call me at 50 years old to pack up the few belongings I still have after selling my house and giving most everything away, and the dogs and their necessities, and go further up north than He has already sent me to bring my little ministry of evangelism, streets ministry, and writing to the streets of New York City. I LOVE a quiet lifestyle, I HATE cold weather, I live on a TINY budget, I have NO close relationships with anyone there, my car has about 240,000 miles on it, I have a NOISE SENSITIVITY and on top of that have trouble hearing people with a lot of background noise, and for years I DREAMED of FALLING IN LOVE WITH AND MARRYING A WONDERFUL LOVING GODLY MAN, LIVING IN A WARM CLIMATE BY THE BEACH, and of WRITING FICTION and possibly ADOPTING CHILDREN. I grew up SHY, I was PETRIFIED OF MEN for years as an adult because of childhood sex abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, and now I do streets ministry and have crossed paths with criminals, ex-prisoners, people who have yet to go to prison, rapists, child molesters, murderers, etc. I grew up so spoiled and prideful I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near a homeless person, a prostitute, drug addicts with no desire to get clean, etc., and the Lord has given me a love beyond measure for all people and a passion beyond description to help people to find and forever follow Him.
Sometimes I have heard Christians talk about finding our “spiritual gifts” by taking tests, by figuring out what we like and what we’re good at, what interests us and brings us happiness, etc. I have never once found in the Bible the Lord calling His servants to minister to others based on spiritual gifts tests, their resumes and interests, what they’re good at, etc. In fact, He often has taken the most unsuccessful by society’s standards, the least likely to succeed in the world’s eyes, the biggest “failures” according to others, the seemingly least capable, those with the least experience or none at all, those seemingly the most ungifted in anything, etc., and BY HIS SPIRIT WITH HIS POWER THROUGH HIS WORD called them, equipped them, and used them mightily to love and serve Him and others. Why? HE GETS THE GLORY!
Please do not be fooled. Don’t be deceived. Don’t follow the world. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek and follow the Lord’s calling for your life, whatever that may be, wherever, with whomever, in whatever way, at whatever time, be diligent in letting His Spirit lead the way. It all begins with a rock solid relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s but the beginning. Begin there, and spend time with the Lord continually, in His Word diligently and daily, keeping your heart and ears ever open to His leading regarding what it is He has called you to do. And remember not to operate in your weak flesh, but in His almighty power, giving HIM ALL THE GLORY HE IS DUE! Hallelujah, friend, hallelujah!
Over and again in the epistles, the writers make clear THE LORD CALLED THEM. And over and again, His servants make clear HIS SPIRIT does the leading! May it be so in your life, friend!