‘Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.’ Ephesians 4:1-13(NLT)
‘Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:4-9(NLT)
‘God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ‘ 1 Peter 4:10(NLT)
Pursuing our callings can be met with fear and anxiety at times. We’re not always certain that we’re on the right track and sometimes next steps can be unclear. This is where the certainty of our first calling – pursuing our relationship with Jesus – is so important! We can be sure that as we seek His heart day to day, He is already at work to lead and guide us into the plans He has for us. It may require seasons of waiting on God’s timing and direction. Know that in the waiting, nothing is wasted when you keep your eyes locked on Jesus, direct your heart full of faith in our faithful God, and trust that He will come through for you.
So whether you’re still trying to figure out a few things or currently living out the works you were created for, there’s a beautiful promise that is a banner over all of our lives straight from the heart of God:
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6
No matter where you are in your journey, know this: the good work He began in you He also will complete. From the finished work of Jesus on the cross, to the moment of your salvation, and until we see Jesus face-to-face, He is working out your salvation every single day as you become more like Jesus. With each new day, there is more work to be done in this life, in your heart, and through the living out of your calling for the building up of the Church. Jesus is the author and perfecter of your faith. He is the finisher!
Are there fears or anxiety you need to confess in a private moment with God today? He waits for us to entrust any such feelings to Him in exchange for His invaluable peace. Be encouraged and reminded of His grace and your purpose in today’s Scripture readings
from Flourish In Your Calling