June 22, 2011

Our High Calling

A call, expected or unexpected, demands our immediate attention—whether it comes by way of phone, letter, text message, or word of mouth.
 
Calls come to us as a surprise, to convey a greeting, a message, an offer, an invitation, and much more—to share either good or bad news. They come to us from dear ones, from people we know well, and from people we don’t know at all. Some calls are important, while others are not. Some make us happy, others sad. Some challenge us to action, others to inaction. And they come to us day or night, from nearby or far away, even from overseas.
 
Some find us asleep, working, worshipping, or undertaking our day-to-day activities. Many calls are short and brief; others may be lengthy.
 
Some calls are ordinary, others extraordinary. For those fortunate enough to get a call from high places, such as from a president, king, queen, millionaire, billionaire, or chief executive officer, such a call makes one wide awake, alert, and attentive. Such a call is taken seriously, because the message is usually one of great importance. It could be life-changing.
 
2011 1518 page31After such a call, many brag and boast about it. They say they have connections in high places. Many have responded to such calls by volunteering for political office, military duty, medical work, or local, national, or international missionary service.
 
Some see responding to a call as an opportunity for financial gain, to make a name for themselves, or to bolster their egos. Calls offer one broader contacts, networks, and learning opportunities. But others respond out of a sincere desire to serve one and all to the best of their abilities.
 
The apostle Paul reminded his friend Timothy that God calls all of us—young and old, important and not-so-important—to the challenge of serving Him. “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay,” he said. “Some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Tim. 2:20, 21).
 
In the highest call of all, God beckons you and me into His special service; for there is nothing ordinary about serving the Lord of lords, the King of kings. This is our highest calling as Christians.
 
By responding to it, we enter into His most blessed service—living lives of worth, righteousness, good deeds, and order. This is God’s call to every man, woman, and child.
 
If you haven’t answered this call, the Chief Caller awaits your response. We accept lesser, earthly calls with so much haste and excitement; when will we accept this one? Many have found, in responding to this high calling, the ultimate and perfect peace for which they have long been searching (Isa. 26:3).
 
Unfortunately, time is not on our side. The second coming of Jesus Christ will find some still pondering about whether to respond or not. Before it’s too late, as brothers and sisters of one family, God’s family, we welcome you to hear His call.
 
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Kioko Joshua, Jr., writes from Nairobi, Kenya, where he is a deacon at the New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church. This article was published June 23, 2011.

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