Live Your Calling

1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

In just a couple days we will enter the New Year. With a new year many make resolutions.

There are things that we want to change. Losing weight, reading our Bible more, spending more time with family, or setting budgets. All these things are good, but more times then none they don’t last.

We start with great intentions, but life comes into place and we lose focus, time, or our interests change.

But looking at our scripture today, I thing we can pull three things out that should be our focus.

Married or single, live as the Lord has called.

Passages leading into this talk about marriage and singleness. Some of us was meant to marry and serve the Lord together. Some was to remain single and serve the Lord. Neither is better then the other as long as we are doing what the Lord has assigned to us.

Give example of me trying to fight being married and breaking up with Jennifer before realizing that this was my calling.

If you are married, then work on that marriage daily. Grow in Christ together, teach your children daily, walk in a manner worthy of your calling.

Ephesians 5:22–33 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:22-33

If you are single and feel this is what the Lord has for you, then live accordingly. Show Christ through all you do. I have a couple friends who are single and happy to serve the Lord as so. They have had great opportunities that would not be possible if married.

2. Be content on were you are working.

How many times have we lost the desire to go to work. We get there and would rather be somewhere else. Or we wished that we had a different job that had better hours or better pay.

We feel this because we are focusing on self and not what the Lord has called you to.

Share about when I was working at Food Giant and my desire to leave.

Seek the Lord as you are at work. How can you show His love to those you work around? Does your attitude reflect Him? Do you share the gospel to those around you?

3. Church be obedient to their calling

So many times, we focus on numbers, numbers, numbers. If our church will grow then we can do this or that. If our church will grow then we will have volunteers to do many things.

But our focus is not on numbers, but just being obedient to the calling He has given.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19

We are to disciple one another, teach one another, proclaim the gospel. Make Jesus known!! When we do that, then everything else was fall into place.

As we look at our passage today, ask yourself. I’m I content in the calling that has been given? I’m I doing what is asked of me? I’m I taking every opportunity in my life to show and proclaim Christ?

This new year, seek changes in your life that fall in line with your calling.