Fulfill Your Calling: One God and Father of All

We’ve been talking about whether your ministry can be sacred or secular. We’ve also been talking about how your ministry is equal from God’s perspective to any other ministry.

Now, let’s figure out what is God’s purpose in all this.

From before the beginning of time, it was God’s pleasure to invite you into relationship with him. He was also greatly pleased to give you gifts and equip you to build His Kingdom. But God didn’t do all this just so you could be awesome and do great things.

Hear me out…..Yes, God wants you to be awesome and do great things, but He doesn’t want your sole motivation to be all about what you’ve accomplished.

Used to, I would believe that hosting or leading or headlining a big women’s conference with an awesome venue and lots of people from all over the region meant I had really made it big. I had finally reached ‘real’ ministry status. It was the yardstick by which I was measuring my Kingdom contribution. I was often focused on numbers, influence with people, and their responses. Bigger and better surely meant more powerful and effective results in which God would surely be very pleased and impressed. Sure, my intentions were good. I wanted to be the best Christian I could be, I wanted to serve God but if I were honest, it was, in part, about me feeling good, accepted, and useful….even special.

Through the years, though, God has lovingly shown me that from His point of view all ministry is equal. All pursuits in Kingdom building are equally important to HIm. All Kingdom building is effective no matter the size or reach.

So….what’s the point then?

What’s God ultimate goal?

He wants to make us all One! Ephesians 4:4-6 says,

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

God had this plan from the beginning. He invites us into relationship and gives us gifts to  build His Kingdom. He pieces The Body perfectly together, and as we each do our own work, we grow. As we become more like Christ, we are healthy and mature. As we become more like Christ, we all become one!

It’s amazing to me how he wants to take a world of people who are broken and messed up to create something beautiful in us so that we can be one with Him for eternity!

The plan is WAY better than my selfish tendency to use my gifts and opportunities to make myself look good or feed my ego or collect accomplishments for myself.

Seeing His Grand Plan makes me realize a few things about my calling:

1. My calling is not for me. It’s not about me feeling good about myself or for my ego. The end goal is not for me to be fulfilled in my ministry. Yes, God wants me to feel effective and useful, but the end goal is not solely for me turn inward about what an awesome Christian I am.
2. My calling is for the perfecting of myself. As God allows me to use my gifts for His higher purpose, He is also growing and maturing me. There have been so many times I’ve made mistakes, and He lovingly corrected me. As He’s allowing me to work for Him, He’s also working in me to be like Him.
3. My calling is for the perfecting of the Body. As I’m doing my part, other people will grow and mature. The other side is true too. As others do their parts, I grow and become better. There have been so many wonderful people in my life that inspire me to be more like Christ. As I see them using their gifts and callings, I am inspired to be better.

When we all do the work He’s equipped us to do and we keep our eyes off ourselves, then we grow and mature to be more and more like Christ. As The Body becomes more like Jesus, we all become one!!! God is glorified and fills the universe with Himself as He is God and Father of All!!

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

No wonder Paul breaks out in praise! I get excited too! Look at the amazing things God has done and will continue to do!

So as God develops His calling in you, be bold to lead a life worthy of this calling….for you have been called by God!

Want to study this more? Get the devotional study guide here!

Also, if you want me to share this study at your church or women’s gathering, emails me at womenofthewaytn@gmail.com!

~Amy