Years ago, JD Greear wrote this interesting post on “calling.”

The Confusing Language of “Calling,” Part 1 | TheResurgence.

During a mission team training session, I was introduced to the idea we are not called to a task; we are called to a person. Since then, I’ve been wondering when we first started equating “calling” with “career.” Am I called to be a graphic designer or to do graphic design? Or am I called to the graphic design field? Judging by my portfolio and lack of job offers, the correct answer is “no” to all three. But maybe it’s also because none of those three can, as persons, call me.

Since starting to work in “full-time vocational ministry,” I’ve received a few comments about how I’m now doing “God’s work.” I beg to differ. No one but God can do God’s work. However, I can do the good work He has prepared for me to do, as Ephesians 2.10 states. It is important to note He prepared those works for me to do, not me for those good works. Just as the Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath, it seems reasonable to conclude the same principle applies to works.

Even though the same verse tells us we are created to do good works, we often skip over that little condition of being created “in Christ Jesus.” It seems “doing good works” is more of a capacity He has built in us rather than a primary purpose. Good works are a means to an end. A car might be created to go from 0-60 in under 8 seconds, but the purpose of the car is not remarkable acceleration; it’s transportation. Acceleration is one of the means toward the end goal of moving a person from point A to point B. The fact that we are “in Christ Jesus” suggests to me that without being re-born in Him, without being in Him and His presence (i.e. active life-giving relationship), we wouldn’t be doing any good works at all.

God doesn’t call me to do stuff for the sake of accomplishing a task. He calls me to Himself. In other words, He gives me things to do, but He calls me to be with Him. The rest of the stuff — missions, vocations, Kingdom assignments, whatever you want to call it — is the result of who He redeems me to be as I exist in His presence. Delegating items on His task list is not the reason He redeems me. The only reason I’m sure He has redeemed me is this: for His pleasure. That’s good enough reason for me! The rest of the stuff I get to do is just icing on the cake.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2.10

This semester, I re-enrolled as a student at a community college. I always thought I’d want to keep learning something, but that’s not the only reason I made my student comeback. When I realized I should probably upgrade my software because it was 3 generations behind the current release, I shopped around and was reminded how beneficial it is to have a student ID. So I enrolled in a couple of music classes, one of which is Popular Songwriting (as opposed to, my friend pointed out, Unpopular Songwriting). Thanks to FAFSA, it’s been more than worth Continue reading…

Several times when people have prayed over me, they tell me God wants to give to me, not because He has to or because I need it, but just because He wants to. He gets a kick out of giving good gifts to His kids. I’d receive that gladly, but I never knew what that meant, what it could look like. This week, I got just a taste of it. Continue reading…

2010 Global Forum on Human Trafficking

I had the privilege of attending the Global Forum on Human Trafficking this year. As with many modern social movements, this one featured a lot of artists and creative expression. In keeping with that tone, one of the sessions featured a documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate. Even with the motion-sickness-inducing secret footage, I was hooked. What has stayed with me days later is the footage of a boy, about 8 or 9 years old, crying at one of the transportation stops. He had just been dropped off by a trafficker, but not yet picked up by the next person in the chain. Continue reading…

If I asked you to quote the Great Commission, what would you recite? Most likely, it would go something like this (if you quote the NIV):

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

It’s a great verse, an inspiring charge to us as Christ’s disciples. If I hear it coupled with an adventurous mission story, I’m ready to hop on a plane to an unreached people group, and I don’t even like flying!

A few weeks ago at our staff retreat, our discussion revolved around a few key passages and how we as an organization could be intentionally living out those truths. Having a heavy emphasis on mission programming, of course we covered the Great Commission. I’ve read it so many times, even memorized it, but God opened my eyes to a new facet of it that morning. Continue reading…