Should I try to pursue God’s calling in this topsy turvy world that seems intent on spinning out of control?
I’m beginning to understand the angst of Littlechap, who, whenever something untoward happened in his life, stood at his front door and yelled, “Stop the world—I want to get off!”
Me too! Especially lately!
Between idiot politicians, weak-kneed leaders, riots, skyrocketing crime rates, and of course, the pandemic, all in the last two years, I’ve thought, “what’s the use?” and “why should I even try to pursue God’s calling in a world so opposed to God and a Biblical worldview?”
But here’s the thing: it is times like these, when everything seems to be spinning out of control, that we Christians must stand our ground and pursue His calling with every ounce of our energy.
Crazy Times in the Disciple’s Day
Imagine what it was like for the disciples and the early Christians.
Rome had conquered most of the known world. Their form of governance allowed each area they conquered to worship their own Gods. However, Rome was none too happy about the rapid spread of the Gospel among Jewish Christians. In response, emperor Claudius kicked the Jews and Christians out of Rome in 49 AD. Subsequent Roman emperors, starting with Nero, called for the persecution of Christians that lasted 250 years.
All of Jesus’ original eleven disciples, except for John, died a horrible death, martyred for their faith. Thousands of more ordinary believers had their money and property seized at the hands of the government. They all suffered greatly and endured moments when it seemed like there was no hope. Yet, they kept the faith, trusting in Jesus and His promises.
If they hadn’t kept the faith and pursued their calling, where would we all be now?!
People Are Lost
People are lost and confused. Unclear about their meaning and purpose, they look for answers from politicians and weak leaders. They rebel against authority by acting out in riots and crime.
Driven by a secular worldview, they are looking for answers in all the wrong places. The answers they seek can be found in the words of Christ.
We Need to Stand Strong
As much as we would like to think we have control over what is going on in the world, even our corner of it, we don’t! We need to understand our times and be prepared to use our gifts in response.
Jesus admonished the disciples and believers “to understand the signs of the times” (Luke 12:56). We need to do the same. We need to understand the signs of the times and respond accordingly by using the gifts God gave us and pursuing His calling in our life!
We must act in two ways. First, we must support the good in the world—that which aligns with God and a Biblical worldview. And second, we must stand against the evil of the destructive secular worldview.
We are called to be followers of Christ and use our gifts and talents in a world spinning out of control. This is our calling and our purpose; there is NO higher calling or greater purpose.
More Articles
I have written several articles on this topic. You can find them by typing “Purpose/Passion” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #458: Is Your Purpose Revealed in Your Pain Rather Than Your Passion?
- #446: Do You Labor in Vain or For the Glory of God?
- #269: What Strategy Do You Need to Finish Well?
- #263: What Are God’s Four Purposes For Your Work?
- #225: The Insidious Gap Between What We Say and What We Do
- #209: You and I are on a Journey to God Knows Where!
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How can you leverage your gifts and talents to make a difference in your corner of the world?
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Category: Personal Development | Purpose/Passion
Littlechap doesn’t realize until late in life that the love of his wife was all he needed. After this last year, and my wife’s cancer journey, we both have renewed gratitude for all we have. But like you, we worry about the direction of society, the lack of inspiring leadership, the emptiness of secular self-worship, and this ever challenging landscape of pandemic, crime, educational decline, geopolitical threats, etc. Quite exhausting. Think I’ll retreat to another cup of coffee and a good book!
So right John – listening to the news and knowing what is going on in the world around us is physically and emotionally exhausting. It’s easy to let that drama distract us from what is really important right in our own homes!
Ron,
Your message today is really encouraging. I like so many other people think our world is spinning out of control. It really is a dark world out there. You’ve just encouraged me by reminding me that we Christians have the light. We also have the hope that for Christians there is a time coming when things will get better for us.
Amen Steve! We can never give up our responsibility to be a light to the world!