Dress Up Like a Frog. It will Set You Free!
“For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” (Ephesians 2:10)
God created us for “good works.” That does not mean our salvation is based on those “good works.” God created us for “good works” so we could make a difference in God’s holy name. One of the greatest blessings in this world is clearly understanding what we are called to do in this life.
Since I was a small child, I wanted to be a minister. When I was six, I used to line up my stuffed animals and preach the gospel with much gesticulation. My desire to be a minister could have been that the minister was the only one in worship who didn’t have to stay quiet during the service. Thankfully, my call developed when I was six.
One’s call isn’t necessarily tied to their particular occupation. In high school, one of my best friends was an older man I sang in choir with at church. He was a cut-up. He would dress up like a frog in a green outfit and entertain the children. At the end of every school year, he would give young people a beautiful, homemade statue with a full-page letter describing their virtues. He was amazing.
Years later, when he died, I drove back home to perform his funeral. I met with his children to plan the ceremony. I asked them to tell me about their father, and I was excited to hear how remarkable their lives must have been. All of us were better people for having known him, and his children got to be raised by this extraordinary man. Their response was, “he worked a lot.” “He was a good provider.” He worked incredible hours in a tiny backroom office, all by himself. They didn’t know their father. When I described their father, they didn’t believe me.
After his kids grew up and he retired from the back room, he chose a new, divine call. I can only imagine all the hours in front of his spreadsheets, dreaming of a day he could bring joy to young people and let loose. When that day came, he took his dreams seriously and lived out the rest of his life with joy.
Today, think about who God called you to be in this life. Are there ways your occupation and your call could work together? Prayerfully ask God to clarify what “good works” God desires from you. What “good works” you were “made” to fulfill? Living your call is a great blessing in life. God will lead you to your call if you seek to do God’s will for your life. Personal fulfillment isn’t a pipe dream. You do not have to wait for retirement. If you cannot find it in your occupation, you can find it in your church. Keep seeking, and you will find!
This devotion was originally published in September of 2017