I just had the privilege of speaking to a group of incredible women today about my story. It was such a blessing to be there. To share the message God has given to me and to hear theirs in return.
This is the church––we’re the church––and we’re called to love one another. To gather together so that we might encourage and spur one another on toward Christ.
I’ve already told you about the resistance I’ve felt on occasion toward the call God has placed on my life. It’s no secret. But what’s incredible to me is what God does when we say yes.
There’s a story in scripture about two sons. To the first, the father said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” To which the son replied, “‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went” (Matthew 21:29). The father said the same to his other son, “and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go” (21:30). After telling this story, Jesus asked, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” And the answer, of course, is the first (21:31).
Every one of us are called. Our callings will look different, but every call is important. I can’t do my calling apart from you doing yours. We are, as scripture puts it, the body of Christ which means we’re mutually reliant upon each other.
The story of the two sons was given to me three years ago, right after I submitted to God’s call to write my book. It was as if God was telling me, “You may have been running from what I’m calling you to do, but now that you have submitted to my call, you are doing my will.”
Jesus tells us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore,” He says, “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). We are all called to work in the vineyard. To reap God’s harvest that we might further the Kingdom of God. And though we may feel resistance to answering that call, what’s ultimately important is that we say yes to whatever God calls us to. And when we do that, we are sure to experience the blessings of God.
Just in the last year, I have received blessing after blessing as a result of my “yes.”
- I signed my book contract last February.
- I was contacted by The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to do the “Heaven” film.
- I finished my manuscript (by the grace of God!).
- I received over seven invitations to speak since last August.
- And most recently, I was asked to be a contributor to a new Zondervan devotional Bible called, NIV Bible for Women: Fresh Insights for Thriving in Today’s World (releases September 22, 2015)!
God is good. So incredibly good! When we say yes to the call He has on our lives, He makes things happen. It is He and He alone who brought every one of these opportunities to me. I did not seek them out. All I did was say yes (though reluctantly, at first). I haven’t done everything right. I’ve made many mistakes, and I still have a long way to go, but how awesome is it that God is willing to invite us to be part of His story. That He’s willing to use imperfect vessels to bring about good. And it all starts with a “yes!” I pray every one of us becomes a person committed to saying yes to whatever God calls us to.
The harvest is waiting.
Any thoughts? Share in the comments.
Dear Laurie and readers — It seems that Holy Spirit has guided me to your article today. After reading your article my goal is to respond with truth only. If I miss that mark, I ask for your mercy and forgiveness. I claim no special power, insight, or position. I am simply a man who wants to do his part to make our God look as great as he is. If you are a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, then you are my sister, and that means we are in the same family. Alleluia!!
You wrote, “Every one of us are called. Our callings will look different, but every call is important.” Agreed. All disciples of Jesus are called. I respond to your article — in all the humility that I know — to help us all respond to God’s call by emphasizing what is vital to understand according to the authority of scripture and to the words of Jesus himself who is the Creator of all things and the only Rescuer of all who want to know God.
God’s “call” to his people is first and foremost to follow Jesus according to the way that JESUS modeled and taught — by living the way Jesus lived. Jesus’ parting instructions to the first disciples — and those instructions have now made it all the way to us — was to MAKE DISCIPLES (Matthew 28). Making disciples, according to both Jesus’ lifestyle model and to his instructions, means (according to
Matthew 28) to baptize those who choose to accept his Good News invitation and to teach them to obey all that he commanded.
May my words here serve as a reminder/teaching that the CALL of priority for all of us who claim Jesus as our Master and Rescuer is to MAKE DISCIPLES. No matter how we’ve been gifted or what
kind of desires we have or what style of group we might be a part of, if we have not understood that our call is to make disciples then we have missed Jesus completely. God’s method for reaching the lost is clear in scripture — Jesus spent approximately three years day in and day out with twelve men because that is HIS way of reaching a lost world with the Good News of kingdom of God. That Good News — that Jesus is here (through Holy Spirit) to give us the eternal, abundant kind of life NOW — requires his “called out ones” (the ekklesia or Church) to not just get the lost “to say a prayer and become a Christian,” but to invite the lost to choose to become a DISCIPLE (apprentice/student) of Jesus with the goal of growing to become a DISCIPLE-MAKING disciple of Jesus.
As I’m sure most of those who read this will agree, each of us is rescued by God’s GRACE through trusting him to make us new and make us friends with him. Scripture is clear that no one is made right with God by any actions but through the work of Jesus on the cross and through his resurrection from the dead.
It is common these days for “Christians” to “accept” Jesus because they have been taught that the Good News message means that we can go to heaven when we die. Though it is unmistakably true that all those who have been reconciled to God will go to be with Jesus when our bodies die, that is clearly NOT at the heart of the Good News according to Jesus’ lifestyle and message. His Good News was that the kingdom of God is now “at hand,” or close to us (because HE was here!!!). God’s kingdom is a spiritual rulership/control that is now able to be brought into the physical world and
influence/control circumstances as we trust God and allow his power to be at work. This is the ultimate Good News because combined with Jesus’ finished work on the cross and his resurrection we
have ALL that we need – TO BUILD GOD’S KINGDOM! We have not been “called” by God to fulfill our dreams, aspirations, desires, or “callings.” Though we are gifted by God through Jesus and receive love, joy, peace, power, freedom, blessing, and God’s abundant life, the point to him gifting us with these things is to make God look as great as he is through joining him in building his kingdom. This is first and foremost fulfilled through the blessing of obedience by living as new creations who make disciples — who then make disciples – who bring not only the message of Good News to the lost all over the planet but the POWER of God through changed lives. When apprentices of Jesus live in a community of disciples with leaders who have become disciple makers, they live out the abundant life IN COMMUNITY with other disciples – just the way that Jesus taught and modeled.
May our amazing God continue to show us all the path toward repentance that would allow those who haven’t had the opportunity to know Jesus of Nazareth and find the abundant that he promised.
For his great glory and his glorious Good News,
Rick
I am glad you said yes!