COURAGEOUS IN CALLING: THE CHARACTER HE'S FORMING

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What on earth am I doing on earth?

Why am I here?

What’s the meaning of life?

A lot of people have taken the easy route in finding the answers to these questions, and found at the end of the route that there actually exist no answers.



I remember asking a friend whom I met at a party once a question as we journeyed back home in his car. We were chatting up stuff like the ‘fun’ and ‘play’ life had to offer or better said ‘the best things of life’ when I dropped the question; ‘If you were 70 right now, looking back what would you regret not doing with your life?’. A pensive mood immediately swallowed up the fun mood in the car as we rode along on the highway, I felt terrible. Why did I have to break the happiness of the moment with such a ‘killjoy’ question, I was already scolding myself when my friend, gripping the steering cautiously stuttered ‘skydiving I guess. . . . I’m really not sure but I would like to sky dive before I’m 70 and’ and broke a smile and the happiness seemed to seep back into the car. Yes I allowed it knowing my friend didn’t actually answer my question and I didn’t want ruffle any more feathers. In four words, I let it pass.



A lot of people bury their true purpose and calling because they have discovered that it might be a hard route getting to it so they simply toss it and settle for the easy route of playing a part in whatever life brings their way.



What am I really getting at? Let’s see a couple of verses from the Bible.



There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel that will stand – Proverbs 19:21





Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out – Proverbs 20:5



Okay, let’s take a closer look at these two verses.



Man has many plans in his heart but it’s God’s counsel that would stand.



Okay next step.



God sets his counsel in the heart of man. The Bible says it’s set there like ‘deep waters’ Let’s stop here for now.



The plan and calling of God for us is set in us like deep waters. It’s right in there covered up in the rocks and sands of a lot of other stuffs. The truth is- we are always just too lazy to dig out this ‘deep waters’. On to the next…



But a man of understanding will draw it out.



This highlights the tool we need to draw out the deep waters in our heart – being a man of understanding.



I remember college classes and all. Understanding is usually birthed in finding answers to questions. You understand a professor’s heart better by asking him questions or structuring out questions that can be answered through the package or text he has given to you. We need to come to an understanding of what really our purpose on earth is all about. And a great place to start is asking real questions -



Here are some questions on purpose and calling that would sure clear the cobwebs from our dusty windows.



■Through the circumstances and events that have been happening lately in my life. What is God trying to communicate to me? Where is he leading in all of this? What ways is he forming me? What character is he forming in me for the story he’s writing

■Picture yourself looking back over your life someday, what are some of the highlights or important ‘scenes’ that absolutely must take place in order for you to feel like your life was complete?

■What are the non-negotiable events or occurrence that must take place in your story- without which you could never consider your life a success or the curtains falling at the end of your story? These are hard questions that might stifle the happiness in the car as we ride on the highway of life but please don’t let them pass cause the end result is a life that is bursting forth with real courage and true calling.

STEPPING OUT:

An assignment is like a calling, but it pertains to very specific actions or functions you are able to identify that must be carried out before a particular time; one’s life assignment is often the detailed breakdown of a particular calling.



Looking at the gifts, spiritual gifts, events, circumstances and path God has brought you through your whole life, what ‘good works’ (as described in Ephesians 2:10) would you say God has formed you to ‘walk in’? Check out the following verses for an in depth study: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 14:11-13.