Life Calling

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other (1 Corinthians 12:7).

God has taught me many things over the past several weeks. Because He has demanded my full attention, I’ve been very frustrated. Frustrated because He has not allowed me to write anything except a few quick blurbs on Facebook. I pleaded with Him, but He made it clear that I would not write again until I understood what He was teaching, including being patient and God-centered.

Like many of you, I want to do what I want to do when I want. And I can almost guarantee this attitude will lead to long lessons in humility and waiting on the Lord. Fortunately, our Father won’t allow us to follow our own desires with peace and joy. He’ll fill us with a growing discomfort until we focus on Him.

The above verse has been important in my educational journey. I’ve learned that some would have us believe our spiritual gifts are only for the benefit of other believers. However, the Lord taught me that our gifts are for the benefit of all, unbelievers and believers. Our calling is to be and make disciples, students and mentors, of all people. Teaching the Truth of the Gospel and Christian living is essential to everyone, not just believers. It’s the departure from Biblical Truths that has our country and our world in such turmoil today.

It’s crucial that we teach everyone the ways of the Lord. It’s imperative that we remember we do most of our teaching through our actions, not just our words. We can’t live like unbelievers and “preach” the Word of God. Others don’t care what we have to say until they see that we are truly different, at peace with ourselves and life. We’re given our spiritual gifts to live an exemplary life that will cause others to long for what we have. We’re called to live in such a way that everyone will clearly see what a joy it is to follow Jesus.


Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:15-16).

House on Fire? Go Visit a Friend.

by Bruce Brady

Matthew 6:33 tells us,” But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Does this mean we needn’t worry about earthly matters? Yes. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to deal with them, it simply means we shouldn’t be anxious about them.


However, we often spend our time fretting over the things of the world. If we measure the amount of time we spend with our Lord as compared to the time we spend on daily tasks and concerns, we will discover God gets little, if any, of our daily time. I’ve often heard it said, “If you want to know what your priorities are, look at your check register.” The implication is that the things we spend the most money on are the things that are most important to us. While I may not completely agree with this analogy, I do think it applies to our “time-allotment” checkbook.

I know that I spend more time with God than I ever have but I spend very little time with Him when compared to what I do with the rest of my time. And I’m not always faithful about my “Time with God” schedule. While I try to start each day with the Lord, I frequently allow circumstances to dictate how I spend my time. I forget the message of Matthew 6:33.


I selected the title for this post because this contrast indicates how God often works in my life. If the world is demanding my attention for something that seems urgent, God usually counters by leading me to do something that seems completely unrelated to the urgent matter. Frequently, following Him doesn’t make sense to me at the time. However, after a while, He shows me how my following Him was the correct response to the situation because it put my attention on the important instead of the urgent.


The message this Scripture verse has for me and all of us is simple. When we focus our attention on God, especially in times of worldly urgency, He will honor our faithfulness by providing the ideal solution to the urgent matter. Despite my natural human tendency to control every circumstance of my life (and often those of the people around me), His solutions are always better than anything I conceive. His love for us will never put us in true jeopardy. Remembering this will help us turn to Him at all times.


So when your house is on fire and you hear that still, small voice telling you to go visit a neighbor or friend, do it. Even if your house burns to the ground and you lose all your earthly possessions, you’ll gain so much more. Of course it will be painful for a time but He is faithful and will not let you suffer beyond what is beneficial to you. And, imagine how profound an impact your faithful obedience will have on your neighbor or friend, particularly when God restores you to better off than you were before.