Walking in His Calling

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Eph 5:30‭-32.

The Lord seems to be speaking a lot to me recently on His church.

After finish reading Hosea few weeks back, I was led to read the epistles of John. And before I started reading Hosea, I was reading Ephesians. In all these 3 books, I found Scripture (or truth) which I have read before stood out and tugged at my heart in a brand new way. 

So, I have been taking it slowly, reading, pondering and waiting to listen for the Holy Spirit. 

I wrote previously about us being betrothed to our Lord Jesus, reflecting on Hosea 2 as well as from Ephesians 5. You can read it here. 

To be completely honest, I was quite taken aback as the revelation from Eph 5 dawned on me. I had never noticed that verse which clearly and plainly told us that 'This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.'

In fact, throughout reading Ephesians, the Holy Spirit switched the light bulb of my mind and illuminated many truth to me. 

Ephesians 4:1-3 is one of these truth. 

I, therefore..., beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:1‭-‬3

Source: Internet

I don't think I have ever heard (speaking for myself) a preacher preaching about a person's calling in this manner.

When one speaks of calling, it is usually (almost automatically) accompanied with message revolving around fulfilling God's purpose, doing great works for Him, playing a role in His kingdom. Of course all that are true and good.

But do we see what apostle Paul say about walking worthy of His calling? What does it look like?

1. Lowliness
2. Gentleness
3. Longsuffering
4. Bearing
5. Love
6. Unity
7. Peace

Nowhere did I find the word - miracle, sign, wonder, revival, or the like.



To walk worthy of the calling of God upon our life is in the 'who we are' or 'how we are', rather than the 'what we do'. The only 'doing', that I could find listed here, is this - keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Read on and we'll find the famous and often preached and taught of verses on spiritual gifts.

But why exactly are these spiritual gifts given? To equip the saints for work of ministry and for edifying of the church.

And let us zoom in a lil further, shall we? Why are the saints to be equipped and why is the church to be edified? 

The end goal is found in verse 13 and 15 - till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ. 

God's objective and design for:

• the individual - is the perfect man (to the measure of the stature of fullness of Christ). 
• the church - is unity of faith and of knowledge of Christ

In the eyes of many, to walk in the calling of God often look like something picturesque - preaching, casting out of demons, healing the sick, so on and so forth.

It look like 'revival', 'deliverance', 'signs and wonders'.

Don't get me wrong - I do not deny that these are important and are what Jesus has commissioned and called us to do. 

We are designed, purposed and empowered to do great and mighty works for Him. We truly are! 

But having said that, have we lost sight of what it means to be called? 

I am reminded of the verse from Romans 8 that every Christian would have memorised and declared countless times. 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Apostle Paul tells us very clearly that we, those who are the called according to His purpose, are predestined to be conformed to Jesus' image, are justified, are glorified. 

Again, it shows me that it is in the 'who we are', rather than in the 'what we do'. 

In this season, I find myself being prompted, over and over again (yet ever so gently) by the Holy Spirit, to take stock of my perception and my belief of 'my calling'. 

What does it look like to walk worthy of the calling with which I am called? 

What does my calling look like? 

What is my calling? 

And I find myself coming to a conclusion each time I was confronted. A conclusion that looks like this:

'lowly and gentle, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, conformed to the image of His Son Jesus, growing up in all things into Him - a perfect man.' 

Beloved in Christ, how about you? What does your calling look like? 

What does walking worthy of your calling look like? 

May we not be distracted in all that we do and lose sight of all that we are. 

And may His church never lose sight of the call upon her - the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ.