By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
When we say “he has a calling on his life” we generally mean we believe that person should be in a position of ministry like a pastor or a missionary or a prophet.
The idea of a calling probably originates with Jesus’ calling of the first disciple in Matt 4:18-20 “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”
What was He calling them towards? A job? A position? No, He was calling them to become disciples. Disciples who would eventually lead the infant Church around the world. “They left their nets.”
What if He called you to be His disciple? Would you get up from your desk and follow Him? Or leave your factory job and follow Him? Would you sell your house and move if He called you?
There was little special about the original 12 disciples. There was even a political zealot against Rome and a tax collector who worked for Rome. Yet, when He called them to follow Him, they did.
Here’s a shocker for most of us: We are called to be His disciples. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” Like He chose Peter and Paul, He chose us to be His disciples.
Yes, men and women, normal, everyday men and women who might be accountants or businessmen or factory workers or dentists or whatever are called to be His disciples.
And I’m pretty sure He wasn’t calling us to warm pews on Sunday while listening to a message that never gets past our ears. I can say with full confidence, He is calling us to extreme discipleship. None of those original 12 were left the same after He called. Why would we expect our calling to be any less noteworthy?
They were transformed from normal everyday guys to men who preached and lived a radical form of faith and faced death with honor and not fear.
What does it say about us if we have not been radically transformed by His calling? By becoming His disciples? Were we ever on fire for Him? Did we ever take great leaps of faith responding to Him?
Did we argue we weren’t fit or worthy when He called us to some form of extreme discipleship? Did we ask to go back home to get our affairs in order first? Have we led a mediocre Christian life rather than one that shines brightly in the darkness?
Can you say with Joshua, will you say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord”? Will you declare: Lord, I’ll follow you whenever you call, go wherever you direct, do whatever you command…without hesitation, without considering the costs, without my security blankets, without fear and fanfare.
Does that sound scary and radical and extreme? It shouldn’t. It should sound familiar. It should sound like our prayer every morning and every night.
It should be my heart’s desire to give all that I am. We weren’t created to be pew sitters, we were created to be soldiers in the Army of the Lord.
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.