Smith Wigglesworth said, “If you have to get ready when opportunity comes your way, you are too late. Opportunity does not wait, not even while you pray. You must not have to get ready; you must live ready.” *
Christians are to live ready. God has called each of us. The calling may be to ministry, business, medicine, politics, or parenting. Whatever the call, it will require us to live up to a higher standard. So my first question to you is, are you ready to walk worthy of the calling?
EPHESIANS 4:1 (AMPC)
1 I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service].
One way to walk worthy of the calling is through our conduct. As Christians we are to live holy and set apart from the world (1 Peter 1:15–16 AMPC). Many things aren’t necessarily sins, but they are not holy. How are we any different if we’re listening to, watching, or laughing at the same things as the world?
The Bible says that we are not to love the world or anything in it. That doesn’t mean we are not to love people. It means we’re not to love the ways of the world. When we love what the world offers—physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions—it shows that we don’t have the love of the Father in us. But if we do the will of God, we will live forever. (See 1 John 2:15–17 NLT.)
When people know and confess who they are in christ and take advantage of that fact, they cannot fail in their christian life.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old—God wants to work through you! And He expects you to live in a way that pleases Him. Your life and the lives of others depend on your obedience.
The Lord is looking to pour out His Spirit on those whose hearts are pure. In Joel 2:28, God said His sons and daughters will prophesy, old men will dream dreams, and young men will see visions. But it won’t happen if you’re not willing to live a life worthy of the call.
Get Rid of the Dead Weight
Many Christians have weights in their lives that hinder them from living worthy of the call. Weights can come in the form of distractions that get people off course with God and prevent them from living ready.
My second question to you is, are you ready to lay aside the weights?
HEBREWS 12:1 (AMPC)
1 Let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.
Weights are as much a part of the devil’s plan to keep you from your calling as sin is. That’s why you must be aware of the weights that come to entangle you, and make a conscious decision to throw them aside daily.
For some people, a weight may be a financial difficulty. They can become so weighed down with worry about how they’re going to pay the bills that they can’t even hear God speak to their heart about the matter.
Fighting with a spouse can also be a weight. I’m not saying a husband or wife should throw aside their spouse. But when tempers flare, recognize it as a distraction of the enemy and stand against the temptation to argue by choosing to walk in love no matter how hard.
Some weights can be more difficult to get rid of because we like them. For instance, your favorite television show can be a weight if it distracts you from the things of God.
Years ago, secular music became a weight in my life. I really liked ’80s love songs. The more I listened to those songs, the more they became stuck in my mind. I would find myself in situations where the Word of God should have been coming out of my mouth, but those songs were the only thing going around in my head!
The Lord started dealing with my heart about it. He said, “You gotta stop.” It was hard, but I laid aside that weight. I decided that a few love songs weren’t worth me missing an opportunity to minister to someone or fulfill my divine calling. I wanted God to count me faithful.
A Call to Faithfulness
My final question to you is, are you ready to stay faithful to the call?
1 TIMOTHY 1:12 (AMP)
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry].
The world is a rough place, and it’s only going to get rougher. God is looking for people who will remain sure of what they believe in the face of trials and tests. He is looking for people who will stay faithful when judgment and criticism are thrown their way.
Staying faithful to the call will require sacrifice. I’m so thankful we have a Lord and Savior who sacrificed it all for us. Jesus could have walked away at any time, but He didn’t. He knew our lives depended on Him staying faithful to the call. If Jesus could give His all for you, what will you sacrifice to stay faithful to Him?
Decide that when life gets tough, you’re not going to quit no matter what. There are people you are destined to minister to. If you give up, they may never have another chance.
It’s not going to be easy, but you are not alone. The Holy Spirit will help you walk worthy of the calling, lay aside those weights, and stay faithful. Are you ready?
Author
Denise Hagin Burns
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