A few minutes after the service began, an elderly man entered the rear doors of the small church holding a dog. He quietly slipped into one of the rear pews, hoping to go unnoticed. When the pastor stood to deliver the sermon for the day, he notice the visitor in the back pew with the dog on his lap. He made a mental note to be sure to greet the gentleman after the service.
The service ended and the pastor, after shaking hands with folks and briefly visiting with parishioners, made his way back to to the elderly man. After formalities, the man asked the pastor if he could meet with him in his office.
“Certainly!,” said the pastor.
Before the visitor sat down, he laid the dog on the floor. It was in this moment that the pastor notice that the dog didn’t have any legs! He didn’t want to be insensitive to his visitor (or the dog), so just making small talk, the pastor asked, “What’s your dogs name?”
“He ain’t got a name,” said the visitor.
“He doesn’t have a name? That’s a bit odd, isn’t it? I’ve never met a dog that didn’t have a name.”
“He couldn’t come if you called him.”
Would you come if God called you?
Calling is an essential part of the Christian life. In the Bible we find clear accounts of individuals and entire people groups called and commissioned to perform a particular task for God. All throughout the Scriptures, we find stories of individuals such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, Samuel, David, Paul, and of course Jesus (among many others), who were called to a particular task or mission.
But what is calling, exactly, and how is it different than a command? God’s call on the life of the Christian is a particular job for a particular place and time. All Christians are commanded to work to fulfill the Great Commission, for example, but not all Christians are called to serve as overseas missionaries. Again, all Christians are commanded to share their faith, but Paul was charged with the commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles in the first century BC.
I believe that God has a specific job for every believer. Have you ever considered what your calling may be? What task may God have you, just you, complete for him? It may be something small, like visiting those who are in prison, and it may be something big, like moving your family overseas or going into full-time ministry.
Whether small or large, if you come when God calls you, and you’re faithful to your calling, your life will change dramatically.
I challenge you to ask Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to clearly reveal what he’s calling you to do today.
Would you come if he called you?
