Called

"The Lord called me before I was born."

 - Isaiah 49:2

If you read Scripture diligently, if you strive to make it literal, true, and relevant for yourself; if you want to be inspired by it; it if gives you direction; then, perhaps . . . by and by, you read this particular sentence from Isaiah. You read it out loud. And then you ponder and reflect on it.

You say it again.

You hear yourself proclaiming: "The LORD called me before I was born."

It is a big deal to be called by God. Yet if God has a plan for each of us - a purpose - then it is true that we all have been called . . . to do something. And now, you have just admitted it: He called me. 

God doesn't call you to do selfish things. Nobody gets called just to play music. You don't get called just to start a business. You do not get called just to teach, or to do taxes, or to heal people. 

We get called to build God's Kingdom . . . and the only way to do that is to serve others, to put others first, to set yourself and your interests to the side, in order to touch other lives.

So many "freedoms" today; or efforts in regard to "justice," really are not toward the satisfying of the needs of others. A lot of our social movements today are focused on the selfish, the physical, the sensual, the temporary: on things that make us feel good . . . but do nothing to strengthen us as selfless, pure vessels of God.

The called of God practice self-denial. It is one thing to deny climate science. It is quite another to deny yourself. The called of God put away whatever makes our senses happy . . . because the satisfying of one's senses is the satisfying of one's self. And where is the growth, the spiritual uplift, without learning to say NO to the world and it's pleasures?

God called us. He called me. He put all of the focus on you, because He wants you to put all of the focus on others.