“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” {2 Timothy 4:8}
Do you ever get scared of God’s calling in your life? Do you ever wonder if it’s really God that’s calling you and not just yourself? Do you ever find yourself one foot in His door and one foot in the world? Do you ever wonder what will happen if you finally decide to just love His calling and embrace it? Well, you’re not alone. I’ve wondered the same, many times over, and I’m sure you and I are not the only ones out there who feel the same way. As a matter of fact, I can almost guarantee that there are a lot of us out there who are afraid of committing ourselves completely to the Lord. We’re afraid to completely hand over our lives to Him because what if this is just us? What if this feeling in our hearts is all made up by our own selves. What will happen then? Where will we go? What will we do? And then what will happen if we do decide to completely commit ourselves to Him? Does that mean we will have to give up everything? What about the things we enjoy, the things we love now? That just seems so hard, even near to impossible.
I know it is a scary thing to completely commit ourselves to the Lord, but I am coming to the same conclusion that Apostle Paul came to one day when he said,
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” {Philippians 1:21}
So what if I have just made up this calling in my life to follow the Lord completely? Isn’t it worth it? Don’t I believe what the scriptures say, that if I give up my life for God’s kingdom I will gain it in the end? Jesus tells us,
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” {Mark 8:35}
Yes I believe that the word of God is true until the end. In that case, I don’t have to be afraid of giving my life up completely to follow the Lord. I don’t have to be afraid whether or not this is what He has called for me to do. If He has placed it in my heart to follow Him, then that is what I will do. I may not know right now specifically what work He has called me to do for Him, but one thing I’m sure of: He has called me to deny myself, pick up my cross daily, and follow Him. {Luke 9:23} I know that He has called me to abide in Him everyday and talk to Him everyday. I know that is what it means to follow Him daily. Until then, until I come to know for sure what His calling and His work for me is, I will follow Him wholeheartedly. I will do what He places in my heart to do, to talk to Him and to look to Him everyday. And I know too that this is never going to change, because this is the first work I must do for Him. {Revelation 2: 5} He is going to want me to do this until the end, because without me abiding in Him everyday and talking to Him everyday, I will never be able to successfully do the work He wants for me to do. Besides, whatever I do for the Lord in the process of waiting for Him will never go unrewarded and will never go unnoticed by Him, because He is faithful until the end.
As far as giving up the things that I enjoy and I love, I have also learned that it’s a day-to-day process with the Lord. He does not give us more than we can handle. He tells us in His word that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He doesn’t weary us, He doesn’t burden us, but rather He gives us rest. He tells us,
“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” {Matthew 11:28-30}
Whatever it is I have to give up for Him is nothing compared to gaining Him in the end. Besides, He helps me give things up whenever I ask Him. He helps me to deny myself daily and follow Him. I am not alone in this. Whenever I am talking to Him and looking to Him all the time for strength, He helps me and gives me strength to give up things and let them go. As a matter of fact, I have found Him take the desire away for these things that aren’t expedient in my life. They might be lawful but it doesn’t necessarily mean they edify me. {1 Corinthians 10:23} So at the end of the day, I am glad to give up them. I am happy to give them up. And I am thankful that the Lord is there to help me give them up, because He makes it easy and possible for me. I am also finding and experiencing an amazing thing: When I do His work and delight myself in Him, He gives me the desires of my heart, often times without me even asking for them. What the psalmist states in Psalm 37:4 is very much true. I am experiencing it more and more as I give up myself to Him and His calling in my life:
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. {Psalm 37:4-5}
I am learning that giving my life up completely for Jesus and His calling is a win-win situation for me. I am realizing that giving my life up for the Lord is not giving up anything at all. Think of it. I didn’t have anything in this life to begin with. When I came into this world I absolutely had nothing with me. Then when my life is over and God calls me to leave this world behind, I cannot take anything else with me that I have gained in the process of working and living on this earth. I have no other choice or say in the matter – I can’t take anything with me. Nothing, nada, zip. Zero. I leave everything behind. But if I give everything up for Jesus, I will not only gain eternal life with Him, I also will not be empty handed when I show up on the other side, because with me are the works that I have done for Him. With me will be the souls I have prayed for and witnessed to. With me will be the testimonies and blessings God has given me, because I have believed in Him and prayed to Him daily. And finally with me will be the love I have for Him and the crown of life He has waiting to place on me. Not only that, I will be going to the One who is eagerly awaiting my arrival and who is in love with me. I will never be alone again or sad again or upset again. I will be with Jesus forever who loves me and gave His life for me. What an awesome thing to look forward to.
I am coming to the conclusion indeed that for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I thank God for God’s calling in my life. I thank Him for calling me to do His work and to live for Him. I love His calling in my life. There is nothing else like it in the world. It is all worth giving our lives up for.
Respond to His calling. Respond to His plan to give up your life for Him completely, because it is worth it. There is nothing to be afraid of.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. {Galatians 2:20}
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. {1 Corinthians 2:9}
Prayer
Lord Jesus, how lovely You are Lord. There is no one else like You in all of the earth and in the heavens. You mean so much to me. You are my God and my King, I thank You for Your great love for me.
I pray Lord Jesus that Your truth will be upon my life everyday, that You will please help me to know You more and more and love You more and more. Help me to take the time to talk to You always, because through my talks with You I will come to know You and see You more. Help me also to take the time to read Your word and to study it and to talk to You about it, because through this You will fill me with more and more of You.
I love You so much Lord Jesus and I thank You for Your great love for me. Help me to love and answer to Your calling in my life and not be afraid to follow You. Help me to continue to deny myself, take up my cross every day, and follow You.
I ask all of these things Father in Your most wonderful and lovely name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/praying-bible-reading-bible-worship-5406270/
Rp”LoveHisCalling”11/2018
