Calling vs Career Men
Scripture Reading - Acts 13:25a 1912 Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
But John, towards the end of his career, . . .
As we stated in the “First Calling” every person on the face of this earth has a “calling”. The “first calling” is the voice of the Lord trying to get your attention to be saved. Upon being saved by God through the confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord we will be moved toward God’s “Second Calling”. This calling we refer to as God’s “Second Calling” which includes doing God’s perfect will for your life. In the preceding message we (ihlcc) spoke about how your natural job is typically what we refer to as your “career” because it is what you do every day. However, your “calling” represents who you are before God and what the Lord Jesus and Father God ordained you to be. Since we touched on this subject last week we thought it good to articulate some more details specific to men, next week’s lesson will expound upon things common to women. Men generally look for a “career” in something they are good at or at least something they think they will like. This natural occupation consumes the majority of their time and for that reason it needs some explanation on how to keep a balanced life. We all know according to 1 Timothy 5:8 men are supposed to provide for their household or else be considered ungodly by the family of God. This means that good men want to work and they are unsatisfied when they cannot work barring some physical and/or mental handicap. This is good and right because working in a “career” is God ordained and God endorsed. Yes, Christian men are not just supposed to work but we are supposed to work hard and be ethical (always truthful) while we maintain integrity in the midst of controversy. Yes, a true man of God will not only do what his boss request but he will have a good attitude while doing it. Yes, we (ihlcc) know this is a tall order to fill but we serve and worship a tall God with enough grace to carry us through any challenge we face on God’s green earth. Yes, our God is awesome and He is worthy to be praised. Now let us shift gears a little to discuss a “calling” we (all men) have from God to be a faithful husband when marriage is involved and a compassionate father when children and others are involved. Since both these “callings” involve other people we must not neglect their importance. Yes, many people ask us what are your priorities in life. The first one is easy and very obvious to us (ihlcc) because our first priority is God. Angela knew God and was faithful to Him before she was married and He (The Lord) is still her first priority as a daughter of God. As men of God obedience to God’s Word in the spirit of compassion toward others should be our first priority too. This sounds easy but in reality to walk in constant love every minute of every day is quite challenging because if you truly love God with all your heart you will love all people with His same type of love. This means you will never intentional work any ill will toward another. It is easy to say and think that you love God but your measure of God’s Love will be clearly revealed by your demonstrated love for others. This point is significant because all those born-again men of God will instantly have a sincere (deep) “calling” to fatherhood whether they are married or not. What this means is by being born-again we have the spirit of God inside our heart crying “Abba Father” (“Daddy Father). As little children of God we desire to be just like our Heavenly Father. Therefore we have implanted within us a nurturing heart that desires to protect, pray, provide and keep peace. What we call “the four P’s”. Thus, the Christian man must not ever let their natural “career” override their spiritual “calling” to be just as our Heavenly Father. This means all men should be there to help the people close to them (within arm’s reach because happiness may only be a hug away). Yes, if you are a family man and/or a married man your heart to love those around you should always prevail. It is a bad testimony for members of your family to think that you love work more than them. Some men think, “I do what my boss says no matter what” but your boss should not lord over your family affairs (relationships). Yes, you can please both if everything you do is done in wisdom (prayerfully) and peacefully. However, in times of conflict between the two (family and job) your family has a higher priority. Jobs will come and go but your family is God’s gift to you for a short season so take heed to how you treat God’s children because that relationship is eternal, not temporary. Only the foolish man puts natural temporal things on a higher level than spiritual eternal fruit. So we (ihlcc) encourage you dear brethren, oh child (son) of God, keep your fatherly “calling” on the higher level of loving others to stay in right fellowship with the Lord because if you don’t you run the great risk of only having a temporal memory of what life is supposed to be about in God’s Eyes. It is always better to please God over the selfish nature of the flesh because at the end of our time down here on earth either people will love you because you loved them or they will speak empty words over an empty casket that is void of God’s Love (Real heart felt compassion). Amen!