Life in the Spirit

You are Chosen, Too

Last week we talked about how the Spirit is in each of us, working in big and small ways. For us to be more in touch with the Spirit, it helps to pray for the Spirit’s help often, such as at the start of Bible study, before speaking to someone about Jesus, writing a sermon, etc. But sometimes we need even more help and direction, and prayer and meditation is sometimes required for days, weeks or even longer before we get a clear path forward.

As I began working on this sermon, still thinking about the last one, I remembered the story of two young men who were given a mission from God, but at first they didn’t know what to do. They had grown up in a Catholic orphanage that was about to be shut down unless they could come up with a way to pay all of the back taxes that were owed. The two men just didn’t know what to do. They needed a different perspective, so they asked an old friend for help, and he told them to go listen to a nearby Pentecostal preacher who was very wise.

Neither of them wanted to go, but they were at their wit’s end. It meant entering a very different environment, and one of the men just didn’t see anything good coming from it. But then the Holy Spirit got involved. Here is what happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ypX22-SYY

Now this of course is not how such things usually happen, but when we read the stories from the Bible, we may get the impression it is, for what are recorded there are those amazing stories where God moved the Church forward in significant ways. But it doesn’t record everything or everyone. Even in the Bible, we get hints of others working with Paul in his ministry and elsewhere that don’t get named, and certainly even more that weren’t referred to at all. They too played a part, even if they didn’t get into the Bible. The same goes for us. Just because you may not think your story is particularly interesting doesn’t mean you are any less special to God. Just because some light from above hasn’t shone down on you doesn't mean you are not filled with the Spirit and can do great things for God in your own unique way. Remember that the same Spirit works in you as all those folks in the Bible, and will empower you, too, but you have to be willing to open your heart to God and allow the Spirit to take control of your life. It’s a little late to get mentioned in the Bible, but your name is written in Heaven, and a place for you is waiting there, too.

The stories we read about Samuel are inspiring, but it isn’t helpful to compare your life to his sometimes, because God usually doesn’t work this way anymore. First of all, God works through the Spirit with most of us rather than speaking directly as He does with Samuel. Second, it generally is not helpful to compare ourselves to anyone, for we each were created by God as unique individuals with unique gifts and callings. However, we, like Samuel, also need to obey when that call comes. We too want to say “speak Lord, for your servant is listening,” but need to remember that the Lord through the Spirit speaks in many different ways, such as showing us through life events and what others say, just as much as through prayer and studying the Bible. Discerning the will of God often takes time, and should be an ongoing adventure as we walk with Jesus, growing and maturing in faith. In a usually fast-paced world, we need to slow down and listen and watch for the Spirit working in our lives, leading and guiding us. We need to cleanse our hearts often, seeking God’s forgiveness, preparing ourselves to be ready for that still, small voice to whisper to us.

The Spirit is now at work in all of us, calling us to serve God and be the hands of Christ into our world. Reading about Samuel and others may make us think that we are somehow lesser, that maybe God can’t use us. When you think this way, remember that it is not the individual relying on themselves to do great things for God, but the Spirit within them, even in the Old Testament. God calls each of us to participate in His plan for our world, and gives us the abilities and graces to be obedient.

As our Psalm for today teaches us:

O LORD, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. Psalm 139:1-6,13-14)

When we compare ourselves to others, whether it be someone in the Bible or someone famous or someone we admire and look up to, we generally assume that we are not as good or as capable as they are. Or we look down on others and think we are better, which generally doesn’t inspire us to do anything, for we already feel that we have done enough. Our challenge is to be that person God created us to be, acknowledging that we are not perfect, but still very special to God, the work of His own hands. He creates each of us with a purpose even before we were born, and will give us what we need to fulfill His purposes for us.

As the late Rev. Gordon Cosby put it: “Christ makes each of us something unlike any other creation fashioned by God, something wonderful, exciting, unique, [and] something specifically needed in the total body of Christ. This uniqueness, this very self that is so hard to describe, this charismatic person is the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s the primary gift we bring to the body, and without it, the body is immeasurably impoverished.”

Note also that the Psalmist says: “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” Not only is each of us chosen by God, He will protect us when we respond to His call. Most of us probably will not be called to do anything dangerous, but God will lay His hand upon us as we seek to be faithful and obedient. His Spirit will protect us and guide us, bringing us home when we step out in faith.

Samuel and other characters in the Bible had their roles to play, and we have ours. But our world is very different now, and what we are called to do may not have an example in the Bible. Likewise, what we are called to do may not be something to do in the church itself. We are also called to be Godly parents, employees, and an almost infinite variety of other roles within the Kingdom of God. However, most of us were not created to go it alone: we have the Spirit within us, and we have our church family and other believers to help and support us. When we are called to do something for Jesus, but may not have the courage, ask for help and encouragement from you church.

Another difference between us and Samuel and others in the Old Testament is that they were often called into a lonely and difficult life, especially the prophets, like Jeremiah. Often, they were called to confront evil and proclaim the will of God, sometimes with great personal cost. God still calls such people, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., but most of us are called as God’s people to join together as one Body in our efforts. We each have our own calling, but in the Spirit, we usually don’t go it alone. We are called into this community, along with others around the world, joining our resources and abilities to make disciples to transform our world.

In the New Testament, we mostly see people being called to serve who are at best average or less, empowered through the Holy Spirit to do great things. Jesus even calls the little children to Himself, letting “the least of these” have a place to belong and a path to a fruitful and fulfilling life. As the Word of the Lord grows and spreads after Jesus’ resurrection, we see an expanding web of believers from all walks of life taking on roles within the growing church, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

As we remember the life of Dr. King this weekend, we probably think that we just can’t compare. He was far more gifted, far more influential, far more famous. But remember that he was more of an Elijah, called to follow a unique path that few have ever been called to follow, one that would lead to his death. But also remember that he did not just pop up out of the blue and shake the world with his actions and preaching. He rose up within his church community. At first, he did not really want to do what others were choosing him to do, but to some extent was thrust into the limelight. Once there, of course, he achieved only what he could achieve, following a path that only he could walk.

None of us will ever repeat what Dr. King achieved, but that is no reason to believe that we are any lesser in the Kingdom of God. We may not be remembered beyond the small sphere of influence we now have, but that does not mean we are any less special to God. Each of us has a special place in His heart, each is created unique, each is precious.

As Oswald Chambers once said: “all of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them.” You may not be an Elijah, you may not be a Martin, but then they were not you. They were not created to be you. They were not called to do the work for Jesus that you were called to do. Only you were created to be you, and only you can do what God created you to do.