The Call

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honour, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?”

~ David Livingstone ~

This quote was used by one of the teachers here on the current discipleship training school while teaching the staff team last week, and it really hit home for me, in a good way. You know when something really significant is said to you, and it really gets you thinking, it really goes deep, this was one of those moments, and I wanted to share some of the things I really felt God challenge me on and speak to me about.

I think the biggest thing was to do with where I came from. When I came into mission I gave up a very good job, in the seychelles, which I absolutely loved. I moved back to the UK to join youth with a mission to be a part of their discipleship training school, to invest into and equip young people to take up the call God has for their lives. I have always said that I would not want to be doing anything else, but I do miss the life I had in the seychelles, which was something I know God had also called me into for a time. I guess deep down I looked at it like I had made a big sacrifice to come here and do this, but in actual fact, what a privilege it is to be asked by the creator of the universe to do something for his kingdom.

This lead to me praying and talking to God about what it is I am doing, and he told me that I am helping to give skills to and equip all those people who come and do a discipleship training school here at the base so they can walk into the different commissions he has for them. Be that in full time missions work, or in business, science, at home, overseas, wherever it is, what a privilege it is for each one of us to embrace the thing that God has set aside for us to do. Paul, one of the writers of the bible, wrote this in one of his letters, and after hearing the above quote, it suddenly meant something more significant:

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We all feel good when we are given a promotion at work, or a special contract, or are recognised for our hard work in this world, this is certainly not wrong, but how do we look on it when God has asked us to give up something, to walk into something he has for us. and how willingly do we do it? I will not lie, it is not an easy thing to give something up we enjoy, but when the king of kings has something that only we can do for him, should we not run into it willingly, I know my attitude has been challenged on this over these last few months.

Truly, what a privilege it is for us to do something everlasting for God's kingdom, I am so excited to see what the next couple of years brings, and where God calls all these amazing young people that I will have the pleasure of spending time with.