Are You Walking in God’s Calling?

Every year, saints from all over the country follow the call of God to converge on one city; lifting up the name of Jesus and tearing down the gates of Hell.  This year, the event was held in Rochester, NY from July 17-24.  Each night, rallies are held to edify and encourage those who are in the battle.  The director (and a very close friend), Rev. Flip Benham, has started giving me the opportunity to share a little of what God is showing me.  The following is the transcript from the message I shared with the saints on Saturday night.  I hope it convicts you as much as it convicted me.

 

On the night of the solemn assembly (the first night of the event, when the church gets the log out of her own eye), God convicted me of a couple things.  As I examined myself during the altar call, a specific scripture came to mind.  James 4:17, which says, “To him that knows the good he ought to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

 

I knew that verse but I don’t now that I had ever really taken it seriously.  I think I had thought that sins of omission were not as serious as sins of commission.  This was probably due to the fact that I had justified some in my life.  And now God was calling me out.

 

God, in His grace, chose to give me a gift to write for His glory.  I knew this early on because I suddenly had a passion to do something that I had hated to do prior to my conversion.  For several years, I found myself often using this gift to edify the church and to shine the light of Christ into the darkness.

 

It also did not take long for me to find that God had gifted me in evangelism.  My entire life, I have struggled with carrying on a conversation.  You might notice this from time to time.  I am not that good at small talk.  However, when I engage an unbeliever, I feel the spirit of God speaking through me, and have no trouble keeping eye contact and speaking with boldness and clarity.

 

I have been blessed that God has taken my weaknesses to show his strength.  May He get the glory.  However, over the years, I have become a little slack in these areas.  It was not hard to justify this though.  People would tell me that I was just in a season and not to feel guilty.  I knew otherwise though.  My season, unless God shows me otherwise, must involve writing and witnessing for the glory of God.

 

My wife, however, is in a season.  She has surrendered herself to the Lord and has come along side me to serve and to give herself to our family.  That makes me even more guilty!  She has made the sacrifice so that I can follow the call of God on my life.  Yet in my laziness, I sinned against her and against God by not doing what she is enabling me to do.

 

I was also sinning against the church and the blood of the lost was on my hands.  1 Corinthians 12:7 says that our gifts are given for the good of others.  If I fail to edify the church, I am sinning against the brethren.  If I fail to reach out to the lost, I am sinning against them and their blood is on my hands.  If I do not use my gifts in the right way, God will never get the glory.

 

This can happen to any of us.  The problem is, we fall prey to the attacks and temptations of Satan.  We believe the lie that our ministry is not affecting anyone.  Or maybe we see others operating in their gifts and we desire to be like them.  So we forsake God and follow our own evil desires; following our own flesh, rather than God.

 

Regardless of how we get to the point that we stop walking in the calling of God on our lives, there is only one answer.  REPENTANCE!  Acts 3:19 says, “Repent therefore, and be converted, that times of refreshing may come with the presence of the Lord.”  I realize that verse is dealing with salvation, but when you have walked away from God’s calling on your life, you will find yourself in a desert wasteland, from which only the Lord can rescue you.  He will refresh you!  And He can only do that when you repent!

 

Now, let us go back to James and get the context of the verse I quoted from James 4.

 

^“13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:13-17)

 

Do not deceive yourself that once you get to a certain place, you will really be able to fully operate in the calling of God.  Right now, I have a job that demands much of my time.  I also have a wife and three children to whom I must devote my time in loving on them and leading them in God’s truth.  However, I cannot use my job or my family as excuses for my laziness in not doing what I know God is calling me to do.  I cannot say that I will get out and do it once things calm down; once this season is over.  I only have one life to live.  I had better live it for the King!

 

Now I wonder if God is speaking to you on this issue.  I would like to ask you a few questions that might help you.

 

1.  Are you using the gifts that God has given you for others, or for yourself?

 

You should never use your gifts to build your own kingdom or to bring glory to yourself.  Serve others and bring glory to God.

 

2.  Are you operating in the gifts God has given you or are you trying to be someone you are not?

 

Be careful not to compare yourself to others.  Everyone has a different role.  You be the man or woman of God that He as called you to be.

 

3.  Are you using your gifts at all?  Or are you wasting the call of God on your life, as I was?

 

Remember James 4:14…”What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

 

It doesn’t matter where you are in life.  If you are not walking in God’s calling, you are walking in disobedience.  But it is never too late to make things right.  Repentance changes everything.  If God has spoken to your heart, I would bid that you seek His face in repentance.