Day 63 – A Bigger Calling
Genesis 41:14-16
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
One of my earliest memories was being cast as “The Christmas Dragon” in my school nativity (who knew that a T-Rex featured at Jesus’ birth!). I LOVED every minute. I discovered that I thrive from being centre stage and therefore struggle with being in the background; which is pretty ironic given that my job is often based behind the scenes.
When you’re hidden in the background and lacking vision for your current purpose, it’s really easy to get demotivated. Sometimes we just don’t know where our lives are going - what benefit our now has for our not yet, or what fruit a current circumstance will have. We may have spent weeks and months, even years, seeking our calling and reached a complete dead end. In these moments, it’s time to choose to serve a bigger calling.
One of my favourite Bible characters is John the Baptist. His entire ministry was fuelled by the fact that it wasn’t about him - and it made a huge impact. An impact that allowed him to be the one who made a way in the wilderness for Jesus to appear on earth.
I wonder if you know what your calling is? I was once given a piece of wisdom that said that when you don’t have a direct vision for your life, find someone who has a massive vision for the kingdom and serve their vision. This may even be your boss! John the Baptist knew that serving the King was a great calling in itself.
The greatest calling for each of us is to be living out of the place that God wants us to live. There will be times when this place feels totally out of our depth and we need to rely heavily on God’s grace; there will be other moments when we are totally bored with the mundane tasks and our apparent lack of challenge.
But in either circumstance, we are called to change our perspective and realise that it’s not about us; it’s all about going and making disciples of all nations, and seeing his Kingdom come on Earth, as it is in Heaven - this gives us both motivation and strength.
If what God is asking us to do feels like too great a challenge, we need to remember what Joseph replied to Pharaoh: ‘I cannot do it, but God will’.
Prayer — Father, where you have spoken purpose over my life, may I go about living that out today in the knowledge that I am serving you. Where I am still trying to find out my purpose, give me people who I can serve in small and big ways today.
James Brumwell & Nick Harding