Called to Walk in His Worth

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Ephesians 4:1 ESV.

The Pulpit Commentary states that Paul is entreating us on God’s behalf to live in a way befitting our high calling. A line from CeCe Winans’ song ‘Worthy’ (“He counted us worthy, so let’s be worthy”) reminds us that it is Jesus who made us worthy. We now need to walk in obedience to His Word and heed His call.

A universal calling AND a specific calling

I see a two-part calling that applies to each of us and reaches the entire globe.

There is the Great Commission – a universal call to all disciples of Christ to make disciples of others. Jesus enables us for this call by giving us His authority fully backed by the power that raised Him from the dead, the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18).

Then there is the specific call to you and me; this is where most of us struggle. For some, it’s a crystal clear call, but for most of us, it’s not. We may start to recognize our specific call by its symptoms, such as a burden we feel about an issue or a strong desire to right an injustice. Additional clues come wrapped in the spiritual and natural gifts God gave us to enable the fulfillment of His specific call for us. It may be a gift of hospitality, administration, discernment, prophecy, wisdom, communication etc. These gifts can be extremely useful in several areas of life (like transferable skills), so we may not be quick to realize that we are to invest them into God’s Kingdom. Proverbs 19:21 says that the plans in a man’s mind are many, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. We need to pray into His purpose for our lives before and as we make plans! We also benefit greatly from sharing our hearts with wise people who can draw out the specific call in us; Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

The universal call is for a specific purpose, while the specific call is for a universal purpose.

Universally, the body of Christ is called to share the good news specifically with individuals we meet along our life journey. Specifically, each of us is also called to unwrap our God-given gifts such that the church body is universally edified and strengthened. One call blesses the lost to bring them home, and the other blesses the body of Christ, both bringing multiplication in God’s Kingdom.

The impact of this two-part calling is so significant that it is a primary focus of what the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. The Lord will never rescind on His call or purpose for those He created, but a person can put aside their calling.

Stolen things can be restored (Prov 6:31, Deut 30:1-13), and death is not final. When the enemy kills a Christian, we still have the ultimate victory of eternal life. The enemy’s stealing and killing may leave one baffled, but not without Christ. We may be hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor 4:8-10). On the other hand, destruction refers to something permanent, like the aftermath of a consuming fire. One definition for destroy is “defeat someone utterly” or ‘put an end to the existence of something.’ Destruction is the worse card that can be dealt from the enemy, and it is his ultimate goal because it separates man from Christ eternally.

The good news is that as long as we resolve to stand with Christ as we draw our last breath, the enemy can never destroy us. We have all heard of Christians in Biblical times and today who suffer persecution and even death for the Name of Christ. Their death is not their destruction; it’s their transition from life as we know it. The “endpoint” of life on earth is either eternal life or eternal death (destruction).

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of life more abundantly on earth and ultimate victory in eternity!!!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I long to live out the fulfillment of Your calling for me. May I be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk in a manner worthy of You, fully pleasing to You: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You; being strengthened with all power, according to Your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; and giving thanks to you Father, who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossian 1:9-12). In Jesus Name, Amen.