“Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
Two questions arise from this scripture:
1. What is your vocation?
2. How is it going?
Success in life is determined by God’s calling and purpose for you. If you are doing what God has called you to do and you are seeking to excel in it, then you are a success.
1. Discovering the call.
Eph.1:16-19 Pray Paul’s prayer for yourself, “That we may know the hope of His calling.”
Acts 16:1 “A certain disciple…named Timothy.” This is where it all begins. The purposes of God and the call of God should increase in your life. If you have a call, others will eventually recognize it and confirm it.
2. Preparation for the call
a. Character development. Without this, you will not endure the tests, trials and temptations that are going to come, and you will quit too soon.
b. Personality development. Without this, people will not like you and if they don’t like you they won’t listen to you or want to work with you.
c. Gifting development. Without this, you will be limited in your scope and possibly rejected.
We are always in a time of preparation for something greater. What we do today will either qualify or disqualify us for greater use tomorrow. God will not give you more than you have made preparation for.
Preparation demands patience and diligence. It means you have to be willing to wait. It takes time-tests and good choices. There is always a proving time before a promotion time. “And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17)
3. Separation to the call
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.” (Rom.1:1)
Sometimes there are years of preparation for overnight success. For example: Joseph, David and Moses.
There are many preparations and separations that we go through as we follow the Lord. Very few people ever go through every phase of ministry God has for them. Every time you fulfill one assignment it prepares you for the next. David killed the bear, then the lion and then Goliath - every time you overcome you increase. Great accomplishments often come through a series of short gains. It took Jesus three years to develop the 12 then the 70 then the 120, for the task at hand.
4. Courage to fulfill the call
God will never ask you to do what you cannot do, but he will ask you to do what terrifies you! He will never ask you to give what you cannot give, but he will ask you to give what you would prefer to keep. An eagle knows instinctively when the little ones are ready to fly and if they don’t jump, she gives them a push. There comes a time when you need to fly or die. The thrill of soaring needs to exceed the fear of falling. Courage is not the absence of fear it is the conquest of it.
Napoleon said General Nee was the bravest man he had ever met. But when he was about to go into battle his knees would shake so bad he could hardly get onto his horse. He would speak to his knees and say, “shake away you vile things, you would shake much more if you knew where I was taking you. Charge!!” “Be strong and of good courage: do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh.1: 9)
Yours for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
Dr George Hill
Apostolic Founder and President of Victory Churches International
