How Committed Are You

How committed are you to your calling and what are you doing to make your calling successful?  If God has called you to a ministry, have you made it one of your first priorities or has it just become another chore that you do to fill up your week?  Are you enthusiastic about your ministry or are you struggling at it and just doing the bare minimum you can to get through each week? 

It says this in Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”  

Every born-again believer is called to do something and whatever it is, it should be a priority and also something we consider a privilege.  I think we need to be careful not to get too discouraged when we struggle doing the work that God has called us to do, thinking that we may have missed His calling.  You can be joyful at times and very enthusiastic and still struggle to the point that you wonder if what you are doing is what you are supposed to be doing; also some people might tell you that you missed what the Lord has for you to do because you are struggling to accomplish it.  

I believe that some people may have missed their true calling but I think it is very important not to forget we have an enemy that hates anything we do that will further the kingdom of God.  Sometimes we are taught, or we assume, that if we are in the will of God everything will fall into place and it will be smooth sailing which many times is more wishful thinking than it is reality.

Think of the struggles Jonah, Job, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego, Daniel and many others endured in the Old Testament, along with all the disciples, Jesus, Paul and others in the New Testament.  Question: were these people in the will of God?  Of course they were.  I think that every believer that has been in some kind of ministry has struggled with discouragement at one time or other, some much more than others.  

The question isn’t whether you will be disappointed and struggle at times, the question is this; how will you handle the struggles and hard times you will face?  Will you persevere or will you give up and walk away?  In the past I have to admit I made some very bad decisions and gave up and walked out on ministries because I got my eyes on people as well as myself and off the Lord.  I have always said to ‘glimpse at people’ and ‘gaze at the Lord’ but I haven’t always followed my own advice, to my own detriment.  

That is probably one of the reasons why I am typing this Tidbit today, to help encourage anyone that is in this dilemma today, struggling with the decision of whether to go on or to give up.  Question: What if the people I mentioned earlier gave up on what the Lord had called them to do because of discouragement, persecution and troubles?  We may never have heard the good news of the gospel of Christ and we may never have been set free, washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  So remember, we have an enemy that wars against us and he even uses people to work against us and discourage us, so it is important for us to be very committed to our calling and not give up.  And whatever you do, don’t look at people as your enemies and get caught in the trap of bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness.  

The Bible makes it very clear who our enemy is in Ephesians 6:12 saying this, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

It also says how we can put him on the run in James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

So, hang in there and be faithful to your calling and you and others will be thankful that you did.  Something to think about!  May your day be peaceful and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  PS Praise and thank the Good Lord today and every day!!