God Called us to vOcation not vAcation- Pt. I

One week ago today we saw history being made. The United States of America elected its first black president. Barack Hussein Obama will be the nation's 44Th president. I never in a million years thought that I would be able or even witness such a historic event in my lifetime. But I am so blessed that I did.

Many men and women fought for civil rights and equal treatment for all people. Some of them were fortunate enough to see the fruits of their labor. Some of the civil rights activists were blessed and lived to their"change" actually come in the government. Many more didn't. We as a people began a work. And although we have gained monumental ground, there is still yet More work to be done, which brings me to the title of the message that the Lord has given me for this day: God called us to a vocation not - not a vacation.

Ephesians 4: 1-6
1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;One Lord, one faith, one baptism,One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We cannot just stop reaching for more and walking out the assignments that God has given us just because we've made some progress or things are okay for the moment.

Suppose Moses stopped midway in his journey because he and the Children of Israel were out of Egypt and they saw Pharaoh's army drown in the Red Sea: The Children of Israel would have never made it to The Promised Land. Or suppose Moses decided to abandon his position in leadership because he was tired of listening to the people grumble and complain? What if JESUS would have decided not to go to the cross because the people didn't receive Him or believe that He was who He said He was? Where would we be then?

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthian 2:9)

So we do have hope. We must not be discouraged when the task that lies ahead looks more challenging than we think we are able to handle or even during those times when we have no vision at all and are waiting for God to reveal to us what lies ahead. Instead, we can take comfort in the fact that God knows what lies ahead and that He holds our hands. Whatever we have to go through in this assignment, He is going to be right there with us.

Mr. Obama told us in his first press conference as the president-elect that he could not guarantee us that he would be able to fix the country's economic crisis in one year or possible even one term but he did guarantee us that he would continue to work his best in this new vocation to which he has been called. We didn't elect Obama. God appointed Him just as he did our present president. All authority comes from God (Romans 13:1).

Like Obama, we must maintain the "Yes We Can" attitude in our spiritual lives as well as in our natural lives. When the task looks daunting and the situation looks bleak, we must remember that "yes we can" do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. We too must remember that some things just take time to accomplish. Delay does not mean denial. Hope that is seen is not hope at all. We have to have faith that God will do what He said He will do. What is faith?

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Why do we need faith when we can see our own way? Sometimes we not only have to wait for God to perform in us what He said that He would but also for instruction on what it is that He wants us to do to activate our faith so that we will be in position to receive the blessing. Faith without works is dead. We have work to do.
We have to wit for instruction. Instruction doesn't always come in a flash or over night. There is no mystery as to where we should look for instruction.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

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Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Jesus Himself said it best when He told us that some things come by fasting and praying. We must remember that the race is not given to the strong or the swift but to he that endures to the end. That's exactly what we must do: We must endure - not take a break. God called us to a vOcation not a vAcation.

I encourage you to reflect on your life and the areas you may have been slacking in. What is it that's holding you back from completing your assignment or reaching your goals? Maybe you aren't slacking in any particular area but you know that you have the potential to do greater works and come up to another level. What's holding you back? This is not a time to become stagnant or complacent.

God called us to a vocation - not a vacation.