The Search by Justin Countryman

This note is a little different from my other notes in that it is purely a note of encouragement. I want to encourage all of my brothers and sisters in Christ to continue their search for their calling. For those of you who know your calling in Christ, may my words resonate within your spirit to remind you of the significance of your calling in Christ Jesus. For those of you who have not yet fully stepped into your calling or are still unsure of your calling, keep pushing. It is there.

There is a peace and assurance that comes from knowing you are working within the realm of God’s calling within your life. Even though the struggles are still there, and sometimes more often than not, there is a peace beyond all understanding that envelopes your heart, mind and soul. There is a freedom in knowing that I don’t have to rely on myself, my knowledge, or my ideas, but on the Holy Spirit. All I have to do is present myself before God as a willing vessel, and He takes care of the rest; and thank God for that, because if my calling was left to my own talents or strength, it would be a pathetic thing indeed.

I have also learned that in the search comes the preparation. Is my search over? Definitely not. The more God’s Word speaks to me and the more confirmation fellow believers speak into my life the more excited I become. One thing I have learned is that no man can stand alone. I thank God for my fellow brothers and sisters, for it is through them that my rough edges have been buffed out, my timidity has fled, and my understanding has increased. We need each other to test, strengthen, stretch, define, rebuke, build, and edify each other. If you are struggling in understanding your calling then I urge you to become an active member in a group of believers. God designed His church to be made of individuals, and individuals make up His church, but an individual cannot be a church. We need each other. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” I don’t know about you, but I see the day approaching. This is not a debate on the end times note, but if we are honest with each other we can see that if ever there was a time when Christians needed each other, it is now. Psalm 89:7: “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.” Psalm 107:32: “Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.”

We also need an assembly for the benefits it can bring to a believer: Psalm 65:4 says, “Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple!” Psalm 84:10 says, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 92:12-15 says, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Psalm 96:8 says, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.” There is something about the house of God that is different from every other place you can go. Chances are, if you haven’t stepped into your calling, it could be that you have neglected the Christian duty of finding a place in a local body and fulfilling service there. There is a comfort and strength that we as Christians need that comes from a unified body of believers. Find a church and dive in!!!

For a long time I wondered what my calling could possibly be. I felt ashamed because I couldn’t state exactly what my calling was. I knew I was called but just didn’t know the details. If you feel like this then please take heart! Knowing you are called should be sustenance enough. Rest in the fact that God has called you, and that if you are obedient and open, His calling will be accomplished in you and through you. Another thing is this: we are all called to do certain things. We are called to pray. We are called to fast. We are called to serve. We are called to worship. We are called to study. We are called to witness. Experiencing the salvation of Christ IS a calling! We have the chance to intercede for the lost! We have the chance to fast for spiritual breakthroughs! We have the chance to serve in love without condemnation! We have a chance to worship in spirit and truth! We have a chance to study and build our knowledge and understanding of Christ and His salvation message! We have a chance to speak the words of life into others lives! I used to think that only after I knew what my calling was could I ever be effective in ministry. The truth is that the same Holy Spirit that entered my heart upon salvation is the same Holy Spirit that is guiding, equipping, and leading me in my Christian walk, including my calling. I have the chance to be effective in the lives of the lost because of the Holy Spirit, not because of an understanding of my calling.

As Christians, we all have callings to step into. But don’t put so much emphasis on the calling that you become an ineffective Christian in the mean time. Walk in the glory and hope of your salvation, purchased by the blood of our Savior! Walk in the understanding that we are children of God and that this world is not our home! Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside you! Walk in prayer and in the Word, ready at all times to speak life to the dead and dying! Walk in the defining word of centuries: Christian. Better yet, let ‘Christian’ be the defining word of your walk!

Take heart brothers and sisters and let’s do something for glory of God and His kingdom!