Called By God

Here's something interesting that I read this morning in Martin Luther's book By Faith Alone. Thought I'd share it with you guys... :D

Called By God

From Paul - an apostle chosen not by any group or individual but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who brought him back to life - and all the believers who are with me.

- Galatians 1:1-2 -

Religious leaders face a very foolish yet strong temptation. Some claim they must teach because they have the talent from the Lord and feel compelled to teach because of the command of the gospel. Confused by foolish conscience, they think that if they don't teach they're burying the gold of their Lord and will be condemned for it. The devil does this to make them neglect the responsibilities to which they are called
My dear friend, with one word Christ frees you from this notion. Look at the parable in Matthew, "He called his servants and entrusted some money to them" (Matthew 25:14). It says, "He called them." But who has called you? Wait for God to call you. In the meantime, don't be concerned about it. Even if you were wiser than Solomon and Daniel, unless you are called to spread the Word, avoid that calling even more than hell. If God needs you, he will call you. If he doesn't call you, you won't burst from the wisdom inside of you. In fact, it isn't even true wisdom. It only appears that way to you. And it's very foolish for you to imagine that you could produce fruit. The only one who produces fruit by the Word is one who is called to teach without wishing for it. For Jesus Christ is our leader (Matthew 23:10). He alone teaches and produces fruit through his servants, whom he calls. But whoever teaches without being called endangers both himself and his hearers, for Christ is not with him. 

I suppose this can be taken in many ways. It struck me this morning, though, because I've been struggling with what I want to do with my future. My dad has offered me a part-time job as his secretary (which is something I've always wanted to do), but I also have my CNA license, which means that I could get a very good job in the medical field. I've been struggling because my spiritual gift is organization (according to Bill Gothard's Advanced Seminar...) and I keep thinking that it's a waste if I don't use it. But so far, I'm not sure if I've been called by God to use it. I feel sort of stuck in the middle of two decisions...

And, when I read this, it also brings up the question of marriage. I think most females feel as if they have been called by God to marry someday. And, as everyone tells me, if you have the desire to get married, you probably will get married. It's a comforting thought, but it's also hard sometimes to wait when you just want to get on with your life, meet the man of your dreams and have a family.
What I'm reminded of here is that I have to be so careful to wait for God's calling on the matter of marriage, because waiting for the right man to come along is so very important. Since I'm trusting in God to bring him along at the right time, I have to curb the mindset of going out and finding a husband and the temptation to attract young men. God has already chosen one for me, so going out and looking is only a dangerous pursuit. Until I am called by God to marry, I should devote my single years to him and, as Martin Luther said, not allow the devil to tempt me into neglecting my responsibilities to God because I'm caught up in the idea of marriage and everything that goes with it.

'Till next time!

Guest Blogger!

Hello ladies! 
Today we have a guest blogger: my dear friend Amy, who is a freshman at Bryan College in Tennessee. 


Here are her thoughts on the plans of God:

A is good...but B is good too

What if I were to be all deep and spiritual and say to you …God gives us choices. Your response might be something like, DUH. Of course God gives us choices! That is part of what it means to be human, why we are not robots, free will and all that stuff.

But if you are anything like me, your idea of those “choices” involves a good choice…and a bad choice. Take Path A and all this great stuff will happen. Take Path B and you will completely screw yourself and your future. Worst of all, you have strayed from God’s perfect plan for your life, so now you are damaged goods! Really, no pressure.

Recently I have been struggling with a decision that, while not completely life changing, was pretty obviously a crossroads. Panic ensue! I was fairly certain one of those paths must be God’s will, and the other one must not be. Obvious right? But I had no idea which was which. In fact, both paths seemed good.

I was talking with a friend about this internal struggle I was having and she gave me some wise advice. In fact, it is what I just shared with you. God gives us choices. But! Those choices don’t necessarily have to be good vs. bad. Sometimes God gives us two good paths, and lets us choose. He lets us pick our blessings.

Or, as the speaker the next day put it, A is good. But B is good too.

Did you catch that? In case I didn’t, God sent it to me twice, first from my friend and then from a speaker. A relationship with God is not a blind attempt to follow a hidden path. It is not sitting around wondering if He said left and you misunderstood and went right. God doesn’t have just one perfect path laid out that if you stray from you are screwed. He is the God of the universe and knows what you think before you even think it. He knows the decisions you are going to make long before you make them. Yet somehow, in some marvelous way beyond my comprehension, He allows us freedom in the relationship. A freedom to choose, because He has provided Path A and Path B and both lead to blessings. Of course, there is also a Path C that leads away from God. We have freedom to choose that too.  

Mind blown yet? Perhaps I can give a more personal example. When I was six years old, I decided I wanted to go to Patrick Henry College. And for almost twelve years, that was my ambition. It was simple a fact of life. I was going to go to PHC. And in a way, God did open up that door. I was accepted to the school, got scholarships, path A was ready for me.

But so was Path B. There was this school in Tennessee, you see, a little bit bigger than PHC, and more missions focused, called Bryan College. They were actually…pretty awesome. But more awesome than PHC? I was in doubt. Yet when it came time to make my final decision, it wasn’t so easy. Bryan or PHC? Path A or Path B? I didn’t know. I assumed one was God’s perfect choice, and one was less perfect. Though it was not my main concern by any stretch of the imagination, one of my friends summed up the uncertainty when she said, “What if my future husband goes to the school I was supposed to go to, and I don’t meet him?”

Path A or Path B?

Well, those of you who know me know the answer. I chose B. I went to Bryan. And yet even though I have been here going on five months, and I absolutely LOVE it, I have often wondered…why God? Why did you put that desire for PHC in a little girl’s heart if you were going to take me here? Was I just being stubborn? Did I make the wrong decision? But here seems so right.

In light of this idea about choices, I believe God would have blessed me if I had gone to PHC. I know, without a doubt, that Bryan College has blessed me more than I ever imagined. God gave me a choice…and wherever I go, He goes with me. There is no yellow-brick path that I must absolutely NEVER stray from. Sometimes there are two perfectly good directions.

Now, here is what I am not saying. I am not saying God endorses every decision we make. If I go out and get drunk, God may bring beauty out of that pain, but that doesn’t mean it was His will. And sometimes, there is a very clear Yes and a very clear No. We have to be in tuned to that. There is no point of no return with God. He will love us no matter what, but there is definitely a line of what God’s willis and what isn’t. Discovering His will isn’t always easy, but I have found Scripture, wise counsel, and simply prayer to be the best answers.

God gives us freedom in our relationship. He doesn’t micro-manage. We are not half-robots that have no say in the good stuff. He has a will for us, yes, but sometimes we get to pick the blessings that go with that will. For me, that is a life-changing realization. I am carrying a burden I don’t need to when I stress out about pleasing God. Because on my own I can’t please God, and that is okay.

Thanks, Amy! 


'Till next time,

The Way To Pray

This is a poem that was written by a friend of mine. I asked to share it here because I think it's absolutely beautiful and nails down exactly how I feel about prayer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Way to Pray

I prayed at first, a little girl
Because they told me to.
They said that God wanted to hear me.
God wanted to hear my lisped prayers and petitions.

And so I prayed.
“Our Faffer, who art in heafin,”
Not understanding the words I prayed
But I knew that God liked it
Because they told me so.

And then they told me
That God wanted more than memorization.
He wanted to hear my requests.

And so I prayed.
And my prayers became long
Because there was so much suffering and need.
So I laid it in God’s hands
And checked it off my prayer list
Because they said I should.

And then they told me
That my prayers were too monotonous.
God wanted some praise and thanks as well.

And so I prayed.
I thanked God for making the world
And praised Him for being God and taking care of the world’s needs.
My prayers became so long I had to be selective.
But they liked my lengthy prayers
And said it brought me closer to God

And then they told me
That I should pray the Scripture
Because it increased my effectiveness.

And so I prayed.
I searched through the Bible for appropriate phrases
To express the praise, thanks, and needs.
Prayer time became so long I had to cut out some praying
To look through Scripture to find adequate verses.
But they liked it
And said I was a prayer warrior.

And then as I was praying
“Be still and know that I am God.”
“He who belongs to God hears what God says.”

So I sat.
And I listened.
And truly prayed.

Thanks, Ashley!

'Till next time,