Missed God's calling on your life?

I meet so many Christians who believe they are pretty useless for God. Maybe they came to God late in life and they made so many mistakes in their prior life that they are still playing catch-up! Or maybe they just plain made some pretty bad decisions that led them down a path where they feel they missed God's calling for their lives. Or perhaps they've followed God their entire lives but they just don't feel like they've done much for him. They haven't witnessed very much, they haven't "saved" anyone, they haven't gone on missions or given much to charity, or whatever it is they believe are the right Christian things to do that make them golden in God's eyes.

I have THREE things to say to all that.

First of all, if you are a follower of Jesus, you are already golden in God's eyes! There is nothing you need to do or can do or nothing you can't do that will make God love you and approve of you anymore than He does now.  I think too often well-meaning churches lay upon their parishioners a burden of guilt just like the Pharisees used to do in Jesus's day. We are told to evangelize, to give our offerings, to volunteer at the church.. etc.  with the implication being that if we don't, we are loser Christians.  Don't think you measure up in God's eyes???. Read Romans 8.

Secondly, God looks at things completely opposite of us. What we may think is a very minor thing can be HUGE in God's eyes. And often what we think of being really important is often minor to God. In other words, you will not know the impact you had on others' lives until you stand before God and He shows you.  Maybe you never got the courage to witness to someone, but you prayed for them. Maybe you never had enough money to give to charity, but you helped your neighbor when they were sick. Jesus gives us a good idea of what he values in Matthew 25 when he describes the judgement.

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me....Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me
Sometimes just smiling and saying something nice to someone is all Jesus asks of us, helping an older person carry something, visit a friend in the hospital... these are the things Jesus values the most.  Even if all you have ever done is pray.. .remember that James says that: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much!

And Lastly, let's say you did miss your calling. You spent most of your life away from God, or you took multiple wrong turns, whatever. And now you're too old to do much of anything. (First of all if you're still alive, you can still do something, but I digress)  There's still hope!  Why? Because you, your gifts, skills, talents and ministry are NOT restricted to your life here in this age. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7 

In the ages to come!!  After this life is over, God's not done with you yet !  You have an eternity to fulfill your calling, to use your God-given gifts to glorify Him. We have no idea what that will look like. Perhaps God will create other universes with other planets, with other people to help! Who knows? But this is not it, folks! So, perhaps you missed out on your calling here on earth. God wasn't caught off guard on that one. He already has great plans for you in the next life. Cling to that. Hope on that. And in the meantime, if you're still hanging around, see if there's anything left you can do to bring Him glory! 


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