The Calling

"What is your calling?"

"Where are you being led?"

"What do you want to do with that [namely some degree]?"

At some point in life's short existence, these are questions, or those like them, asked of almost every person, less individuals whose caste, family or other influence predetermine the answers to these questions.

Personally, these answers cannot be answered within the general context of their inquiry. However, there are certain answers to each of these questions shared among all followers of Christ:

"What is your calling?" To worship God.

"Where are you being led?" His eternal dwelling place.

"What do you want to do with that [namely some degree]?" Glorify Him.

Despite the divide of cultural, lifestyle and educational differences within the Church, that divide is eliminated with these questions because the answers are the same for all who call upon His name.

And so we live with our minds set on above, not concerned with the futility of the day.

Civil Unrest, Eternal Rest

Within recent months, peoples of the world have declared the inadequacies of failing governments. The unrest has permeated the minds and actions of the peoples of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Jordan and the list continues.

Continual monitoring of international news sources may lead to hopelessness, fear, uncertainty and pessimism as the nations of the world demand liberties, freedom and security. Domestically, political battles and corrupt businesses inspire crudity, lack of morality and selfishness.

As social, economic and political unrest ensues, the sun rises and sets. Although new challenges, new life and the end of life occur, each day is new and full of the promises made by the Creator.

Unrest only exists if rest exists. Believers of the Word know this to exist. Ultimate rest and citizenship is not bound to the unrest of this earth but united in eternity. Hope and certainty in Christ shall end civil unrest, and that is reason enough to take the streets to proclaim His faithfulness.

False Spring

In the Midwest, it is not uncommon to experience a false spring, a period of time during the winter months in which temperatures and weather conditions resemble spring. After this short period, temperatures plummet and snow ensues as winter resumes until spring actually begins. For most Midwesterners, this cyclical occurrence is met with excitement and then a reasonable let-down when winter continues.

Without carelessly analyzing God's reasoning for such events, it is plausible that parallels can be drawn between this meteorological phenomenon and humanity. As the natural seasons resemble a cycle, so too do our lives. Sometimes our spiritual lives are met with reviving life and then after a short, or perhaps extended period, are reacquainted with dreary complacency.

As winter continues in our life, we have two options: embrace the let-down and settle for complacency or live by faith with hope for the fulness of Christ to embark new life.

The past week has been a week of false spring throughout a large portion of the nation. We all live with the knowledge that spring will come, that life will be refreshed and renewed. May our actions, thoughts, and words resemble this truth as we live now with reviving life and hope for the coming day of eternal life fulfilled.