Calling

 December 27, 2020

There is an unexplainable satisfaction in following your calling. For some, it may be nursing or teaching, for others, plumbing or farming. Whatever that calling may be, discovering and following it turns a job into an adventure that satisfies the soul. Without it, even the most interesting work becomes a drudgery. 

My calling for the past fifty years has been preaching. I cannot claim to be the best preacher ever; I’ve offered up some real duds over the years, but I also know when the preparation has paid off with a bullseye. I’m OK in general pastoral work, but was always a terrible administrator and barely passable as the leader of staff. The preaching is what captured my heart and soul, even though it was always the most stressful part of my job. I always asked if what I was preparing was what the congregation needed to hear at that moment in time, and always wondered at the end whether it really made any difference. The answer to that last question may only be fully known in eternity, by which time it will be too late to adjust, but even with all its uncertainty, I know preaching was what God put me on this earth to do. 

Which is why it was so good to have the opportunity to do it again this morning. It just felt right. I was as nervous as I used to be when I was doing it full time, and just as uncertain about it when it was all over...but I KNEW this was my calling. Yours is probably different, but whatever it is, pursue it with all the strength and energy you possess. Knowing your calling transforms ordinary work into divine cooperation with God, and THAT makes all the difference!