Called With Purpose

 

Called With Purpose

Ephesians 2:10

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

(Our Purpose)

Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

(Our Blessed Assurance)

2 Timothy 1:9

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.”

(His Grace for Us)

Isaiah 6:8

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

(Our Response)

1 Thessalonians 5:24

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

(Our Confidence Is Because of God)

Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

(Our Destiny)

John 15:16

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

(Our Appointment)

1 Corinthians 7:17

“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.”

(Because He Is Our Faithfulness)

Understanding Our Calling

Purpose: Believers are uniquely crafted for specific good works.

Grace: The call is based on God’s purpose, not personal merit.

Faithfulness: God provides the strength to fulfill the calling.

Response: The appropriate response is obedience and willingness.

It is easy to wake up and feel like just another face in the crowd, wondering if your life truly has a specific direction. But Scripture tells a very different story: you were known before you were even formed. Your calling is not a random assignment or something you have to earn through perfect performance. It is a gift of grace that God prepared for you before time even began.

Whether you are in a season of waiting or a season of intense work, God has assigned a “lane” specifically for you. Sometimes we hesitate because we feel inadequate. But remember this truth: God does not call the qualified—He qualifies the called. When He calls you to a task, He also provides the strength, wisdom, and the tools needed to complete it.

Our only job today is to be attentive. Like Isaiah, we are invited to set aside our doubts and simply say, “Here am I, send me.” Trust that the One who called you is faithful. He will not only lead you, but He will also be the one to complete the work through you.

My Story

I will be 64 in 15 days, and I just figured something out.

When I was 9, life had already been very cruel to me. I had an alcoholic dad who was extremely violent. I experienced sexual abuse by babysitters. My mom could not cope with the stress of her life. Honestly, life never looked very promising, and even at the age of 9 I wondered what the point of life was if everyone seemed miserable all the time.

One Saturday night we had another one of Dad’s tantrums. This time he threw the entire sofa out the picture window. It was loud and terrifying. Mom was screaming and crying. Dad was yelling and cursing.

I hid behind the loveseat, shaking with fear.

Many of you have probably heard this story.

That night Jesus came and visited me. He held me in His lap and communicated with me without speaking words. He told me He had a great work for me to do, and that I should go to church because I would find Him there.

I tried. I went to several churches, but I never saw Him there.

What I now realize is that when I met Jesus that night, He gave me a beautiful gift—the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the first nine years of my life, I had lived in fear and abuse. I had only ever fought back twice. Once after six months of sexual abuse I fought back. The other time was when my cousin called me names and I cleaned his clock with my metal lunchbox. The reality was that I lived in fear about 90 percent of the time.

But after my beautiful time with Jesus, something in me changed.

I had a sense of worth I had never known before.

I had a purpose that I did not have before.

I truly wish I had found the right church or mentor at that time, but I did not. I tried several churches and several denominations, but nothing felt like the love, joy, and excitement I had felt with Jesus. And honestly, I never saw Him there. The man on the cross did not look like the man I met.

The man I met was strong, alive, and full of love. Jesus is not defeated.

What I had then was heart knowledge, but not understanding.

What I did have—and still have—is His Holy Spirit.

Whenever I had moments of fear, anxiety, or doubts about my self-worth, a warmth would rise up inside me and a voice would tell me that I was just as worthy as anyone else on this planet. I would stand a little taller and take a lot less from others.

Later that same year, a fifteen-year-old boy tried to trick me into another abusive situation by staging a fake wedding with his friend acting as a priest. They told me to ask my mom if wives had to do what their husbands said. She said yes.

But something deep inside me said NO.

I was only nine and didn’t know how to fight teenagers, so I hurt myself to get out of that situation. I stomped my bare foot onto a triangle of wood that was holding the door open. I bled badly and scared those boys enough that they called my mom’s work.

I ended up with eight stitches.

Mom was so upset that I had been left alone with teenagers that I was never sent back there again.

A total win for me.

After that I became bolder. I wish I had known then where that strength had come from. I wish someone had helped me understand how to live like Jesus. I had moments where I knew He was still with me, but for many years I struggled.

The human condition is not easy. Life is full and often difficult to manage.

But now, as I approach 64, I am finally understanding something simple and beautiful.

I hope it does not take you as long as it took me.

The simplicity of life is this:

Be the hands and feet of our Triune God. Put love into action for others in your community.

Pray daily. Build a real relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading, and praise.

When you do that, everything else begins to fall into place, and life finally feels worth living.

Remember the Daily Promise

You Are Chosen:

You didn’t pick this path alone; God chose and appointed you to bear fruit.

You Are Equipped:

He gives you everything pertaining to life and godliness for your specific assignment.

You Are Not Alone:

He goes before you and already stands in your tomorrow, waiting to help you.

A Prayer for Your Day

Heavenly Father, thank You for the high calling You have placed on my life. Help me to stop focusing on my weaknesses and begin trusting in Your infinite strength. Give me courage to step into the good works You prepared for me today. Whether my task is large or small, let everything I do bring glory to You. I trust that because You called me, You will also sustain me and complete the work You began in me. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN.

BOBBA