Following God's Call

          Our family watches the Inspiration channel more than any other on TV.  What I find interesting is I look forward to some of the commercials as much as I do the shows themselves.  There are momentary glimpses of individuals who followed God’s call through their imagination and did something special.  There is one person who used his imagination to implement clean water in another country.  There are often stories about young people who step out on faith to help and create programs for the homeless.  One story involves the use of too many purses to create a spa day for women who didn’t have a new (or used) purse.

          The point is a small grain of imagination is allowed to grow and bloom to do the work of God in surprising and unusual ways with hugely fruitful results.  When we let fear erase the idea God has planted in our minds, we risk giving up a gift God has given us to bring him glory.

          Fear has a way of overriding the possibility of doing something out of the box, away from what is considered “normal.”  I will admit to having fears of inadequacy, even when it comes to putting words on paper.  I compare myself to others who have gone before, or those who in our current society are hugely successful, admired and respected as good writers.  

          My writing, however, doesn’t need to be compared to those who can write better than I.  God has given me the duty to place words on paper and then allow him to take my efforts, small as they are, and use them for his purposes.  Isn’t that what we are all supposed to do?  What we are called to do is start!  But to start we have to get going!  To get going we have to believe that we can and more than that, we have to believe God can!

          The pastor where we went to church this week spoke of Jonah who didn’t want to do what God called him to do.  He ran from God’s directive.  I would suggest sometimes we run from the calling God has given us, out of fear.  Or we could be like Moses who kept saying, “But God!”  He was sure he wasn’t good enough or qualified enough to be the leader or speaker God called him to be.  We are often no different than these important men of the Bible.  Fear, or other reasons we choose to not identify, keeps us from living and fulfilling our God given potential.

          Look at your life this week.  Consider your ideas.  As “out of the box” or different as they may seem, ask yourself if there is an opportunity, if followed, where you can make a difference, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  God uses the most unlikely candidates and circumstances to do great things.  What is God calling you to do?