Your Call to God’s Mission

Have you ever thought of yourself as called to ministry? Too many of us assume that “calling” belongs only to clergy. The truth is that every baptized follower of Jesus is called by God to ministry.

Several months ago, we looked at Matthew 4:18-22. (See: Your Call To God’s Mission) It was the story of Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John while they are at work. They are not searching for a new career or a new purpose. Jesus seeks them out and invites them: “Follow me.”

The call was both disruptive and transformative. Jesus asked them to reorder their priorities around God’s kingdom. So, they leave their nets and follow, showing that their relationship with Jesus takes precedence over work, status, and even family obligations.

Read Matthew 9:9-13

⁹ As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. ¹⁰ As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.

¹¹ But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice.  I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

Reflect Jesus Calls Matthew

Just as the fishermen, Matthew is not seeking a new career. He is a tax collector. He is at work, when Jesus sees him and invites him to follow.

Notice what Matthew does. He throws a dinner party for other tax collectors and sinners. The terms tax collector and sinners point to those who were not ritually clean regarding the Law.  They were outcasts and are not considered inside the proper circles of religious faith.

So, Matthew’s call is both disruptive and transformative. Jesus asks him to reorder his priorities around God’s purposes. So, he not only follows Jesus but invites other tax collectors and sinners to meet Jesus.

Jesus, eating with these outcasts causes the religious keepers of the Law to question why Jesus would be participating in such outrageous activity.

Jesus responds by saying, “I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.”

What does this mean for you? Your primary calling is not to a profession but to a Person—Jesus Christ. While God may lead you into work as a teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer, parent, or volunteer, those roles are secondary callings. Your first and greatest calling is to follow Jesus.

God values you not for what you achieve but for who you are: a beloved child created to love and serve others. Your vocation becomes meaningful when it flows from that primary identity.

Called to Follow

As part of the church, you and I are people invited by God to live differently. It is God who does the calling. In our culture, we often talk about “our” call. The truth is, you are not choosing Jesus. Jesus is choosing you. You are called out, invited, to live and love differently. So. following Jesus is not simply adding faith to an already busy life; it is allowing God’s mission to shape every part of your life.

God’s Mission, Your Mission

 When you respond to Jesus, God’s mission becomes your mission. Your work, relationships, decisions, and daily interactions are all opportunities to reflect God’s love.

You are called to love family, friends, colleagues, strangers, and even enemies, and to be a witness to God’s grace in every situation and circumstance.

You have been drafted by God’s grace into service. You have been chosen to reorient your living and loving. Your priorities are directed by God’s mission. Your calling is not primarily about what you do. It is about who you are. As you follow Jesus, your life becomes a living expression of God’s love in the world.

Respond

Throughout the day, be mindful of your call to follow Jesus. Be aware of how your call impacts your interactions with people, your relationships, and your decisions. Keep in mind that God is placing people in your life to be loved and cared for. Who are those people? How will you respond as a follower of Jesus?

Return

Give thanks for God’s call upon your life, and thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways were you aware of following Jesus? How did you live out your call? How did you experience God’s love? In what ways did you model and share God’s love? With whom do you need to celebrate the love you experience in and through them: what will you do differently tomorrow?

Prayer

O God, make me aware of the people around me today. Help me follow Jesus faithfully and love others as you have loved me. Use me to be a blessing wherever I go. Amen.