By Abi Ruelo
We are all marked and called by the Savior, Jesus Christ. If you are called, you should be proud because not everybody is called to work for the kingdom of God and there are many reaasons why. In Luke 16:10, it says if you cannot be trusted with little,how can you be trusted with much. The movie Spiderman also quotes, “with great power comes great responsiblity.” So being marked for the kingdom is not going to be easy but it is going to be worth it.
Matthew 4:18-22 says, “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.” What can you notice about these verses? When Jesus called, they immediately followed Him. No questions asked. Why were they able to do this?
Jesus has the authority to call people. Jesus did not suggest or even ask his disciples to follow Him. He commanded it. Nowadays, you have to ask nicely first before people follow you. And sometimes, even if you do ask nicely, they still don’t. Matthew 28:18 says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to mme.” Jesus’ authority was given to Him y the Father. If someone of authority, let’s say, the president of the Philippines, calls you, I am sure you will drop everything to follow him. Why not Jesus? Some answer the call but do not know what they are really called to do. It takes a lot of faith to say yes without questions. And why did Jesus call fishermen and tax collectors? Why not the rich men and the most intelligent ones? Remember that God’s thinking is not the same as the world’s. He has reasons that we do not understand. That is why when He you know that He caled you, answer with your loudest “yes!”
We have to answer the call immediately. Who among you runs when asked to do something? It is so difficult to find workers nowadays, especially when things have to be voluntarily done. They always think of what they will get when they get do something for others. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am, send me.”” The apostles did not know where they were going or what they were going to do. Fishers of men? Who knew what that would entail? But they followed anyway. Can you do that? Because if you wait, sommeone else might answer the call. And you are not the only one who is called. If you do not answer right away, you might miss it. And if you miss it, you will miss the blessing too. What is your answer then? You can run from your calling. But if it is your calling, it will keep on calling until you answer. You can run from it but you cannot hide from it. It will find you sooner or later so you might as well answer now.
He calls us for a purpose. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderfyl light.” God’s purpose is always good. He made us to do His work. The good things we have inn this world are just bonuses from Him. But ultimately, we are here because He has a mission for us to do. Do you know what your purpose is on earth? If not, then you will always be searching for life’s meaning and what you are supposed to do. Your real purpose can only be found in God.
Now that we know that Jesus has the authority to call people, that we have to answer His call and that He calls us for a purpose, what should we do now?
Recognize who Jesus is in your life. Matthew 16:15-16 says, “Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”” Who is Jesus in your life? your answer to His call will depend on who He is to you. If He is just one facet of your life, then your answer may be limited to that one part. If He is just your provider and you are short of budget, then you might rethink your calling because He did not provide. If He is just your leader and you see your pastor doing sommething that he is not supposed to do, then you might stop going to church altogether. Jesus has to be your everythinng. He should be the answer to all you questions, the be all and end all. That is the only way you can answer “yes” with your whole heart.
Figure out your response to His call. Luke 9:23 says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” How will you answer when He calls? When you say yes, there are things that you need to sacrifice. It takes commitment and daily action. It is not a one time, big time done deal. So you have to answer with your whole heart or else you will get tired. People who answer to their true calling stay put - no matter hhow hard it gets. Because God called them to be there. If soemthing is not your calling you will keep on leaving. But if it is, you will keep on coming back.
Embrace the purpose God gave you. Phlippians 2:1 says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” You can only truly fulfill your purpose if you own it with your whole being. If you doubt it for even a second, you give the enemy a hold on it. Sos trust that God only has the best plans for you and watch as it unfolds.
Being a follower of Jesus means we order our lives arond 3 primary purposes:
Beinng with God
Becoming like Jesus
Doing what Jesus did
When you know Him, you are with Him. You walk your life with Him and spend every wakig hour with Him. He is with you in everything that you do. That is why Jesus called His apostles, so that they can be with Him. Although that is physically impossible now, we can still be with Jesus spiritually. So read your Bible as much as you can to know Him hen be with Him. Every free time you get. Many people are bored just scrolling and scrolling. Rad your Bible and eliminate your boredom.
When you know Jesus, you start adapting to His ways. Little by little you are changed and your character improves. Somehow, you get “fixed,” sanctified until the day you die.
Finally, we do what Jesus did. Start with the little things. Attend a dgroup. Help out in church. Have a ministry. And then later on, you start praying for people, sharing the gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons. Because He gave you the authority too.
Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, once said, “Do not live like you have 10,000 years left. Your fate hangs over you. While you are still livng, while you still exist on this earth, strive to become a gennuinely great person.” But instead of striving to become a genuinely great person, why don’t you strive to fulfill God’s purpose for you? Sometimes, the simplest of callings carry the biggest weight. Who says they have no calling?
In this season, you might just be a student. Do your best and strive for excellence. He might have called you to be a mom. Raise your children well in the knowledge of Jesus. He might have called you to be a teacher. Teach your students how to be like Jesus.
Everybody has a calling. Everyone is marked by the Savior. He chose all of us to be with Him in His kingdom one day. We are sealed in Jesus’ name. All it takes is for us to say “yes” to Him. Have you answered His call? Make sure of it. Because one day might be too late. You are being called. Answer now.
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