Sometimes we become distracted by the noise of discouragement and closed doors, which are intended to hone our signal toward the right doors – the opened ones.  What appear to be mishaps serve as critical teaching moments we need to be equipped to handle the weight of assigned challenges and, just as important, the overwhelming excitement of blessings intended for us.

God allows us to make mistakes to awaken our awareness of our limitations and, in turn, our need for His intervention.  At the same time, it provides us an opportunity for growth.  If we follow through with the process, eventually we become more effective in our calling.  Have you ever undertaken a mission you felt strongly about and then the pieces did not come together?  Instead you were left irritated and dumbfounded as to why it did not work out.  Perhaps that mission was not yours, despite your good intentions, but simply a distraction.  Maybe you have a bigger calling.

The Bible provides us with examples of people whom God chose for a particular mission but needed some nudging to realize it.  God told Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach but instead he took a ship bound for Tarshish.  He endangered the lives of the crew and his own because his disobedience caused a storm that almost wrecked the ship (Jonah 1: 3 – 4).  Jonah eventually decided to go where he was supposed to go (Jonah 4: 3).  Another example is Saul who was instructed to wipeout Amalek and all he had (1 Samuel 15: 2, 3).  Instead of following instructions, Saul spared the king of Amalek and kept the best of his animals (verse 9).  This cost Saul and he lost his close relationship with God even though he tried to give God a gift with what he kept and sought repentance (verses 22, 23).

When we function in areas we are not supposed to, people can get hurt as well as time and money can be wasted.

On the other hand, if we stick to our calling, walls in our lives will fall like the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6: 3 – 5).  Continue to ask God to show you what His calling is for you because He may have something bigger for you than what you may be currently chasing (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

A Bigger Calling

May our efforts be focused only on our mission

And not on whims of good intent seeking to cloud our vision

Let us fulfill our potential by engaging in what matters most

Missions gifted by our talents and paths paved by the Lord of Hosts