Will you answer the greatest call on your life, following Jesus whole heartedly? Will you let it ring and ignore it or will you let it go to an answering machine and listen to the message but still choose to ignore it? Will you eagerly pick up the call or will you need to force every bone in your body that wants to ignore the call to answer it, to listen and to obey?
I have been asking myself the following question recently; why do I have all these thoughts and do nothing about them. As if I am answering the call God has on my life but then placing them on hold. I have personally been challenged with the urgency to stop making excuses for not doing what God has called me to do, but rather diligently move into a place of trusting God and pursuing His purpose and plans for my life by being more intentional and putting the thoughts and ideas that are laid on my heart into action.
I often find myself saying when I have more time, or when the kids aren’t so sick I will do that, I will get involved, or when the kids are a little older, then I will go on that mission trip. I have far too many excuses when really I am called to live life in abundance now, I am called to serve God now where I am and be the best steward of my time and resources that I have now, not in a few months or few years’ time.
I know that we go through seasons where we cannot serve God in the ways we would like too and we definitely have grace for those seasons in our lives. However, despite how we feel about our capacity, if we choose to serve and not make so many excuses, there will be grace and favour there too.
Grace is not a ticket to complacency. It does not mean that I get to keep going and doing as I am because of grace. Grace is something I am always going to need because I am never going to be ‘good enough’ for the call that God has on my life, but that does not mean I must be stuck where I am, in the comfortable, making excuses. We are meant to be stretched, we are meant to be uncomfortable and when we are, God is the one that is going to be glorified and honored and we will walk in His grace.
1 Peter 4:10
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (NIV)
Are you going to be the one that is challenged, stretched, uncomfortable, or are you going to play the grace card and be comfortable in your season after season.
We are called to higher and greater things. We are not meant to live complacent lives. We are called to do what Jesus did and more.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (NIV)
John 14:12
Being called higher is not an easy task, but to be honest if it weren’t for the people in my life that were holding me accountable and lifting me higher, I don’t know if I would be where I am today. Yes, God calls us higher but He also uses people around us to guide, direct us and push or pull us higher. Those that believe in us, who ask us the tough questions in tough seasons, those who constantly uplift us and encourage us, those that challenge us to live pure and holy lives; it is those that have personally called me higher.
Are you being held accountable or is someone challenging you to go higher and deeper? Are you challenging someone or holding someone accountable to go higher and deeper? Let’s not just be on the surface with our sisters and brothers in Christ but let’s call each other to higher and greater things. Let’s see in each other what God see’s, let’s answer the call that God has upon our lives.
Challenge for the week:
*Ask God to lay someone on your heart that you can hold accountable and be held accountable to.
*Ask God to reveal one area in your life that you are being complacent in:
*Why, and what can I do to change this?
Prayer:
Father God I pray that we would be a generation who seeks you diligently, with all our heart and soul. I pray that there would be urgency in our lives, to not be complacent but to serve you whole heartedly. Thank you for your grace each and every day, Amen.
