Living Worthy of our Calling

Facebook Twitter Email

superhero-ephesians

The following is a guest post from Kevin Milburn, who serves as first vice president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

My 10 year old daughter and 3 year old son recently found themselves in a bit of a disagreement that sent my son off into the other room crying. As he turned and fled, she said “You’re acting like a little baby!” He stopped in his tracks, quickly dried the tears, stared her down with intense confidence, and said, “I AM NOT A BABY! ‘Cause dad says I’m a super-hero and if dad says I’m a super-hero then that’s what I am!”

My son’s confidence arose from my affirmation of him each time he had achieved a “big boy” accomplishment in life. You see, my encouragement to this admirer of all things super-hero was to say, “Great job! You are a true super-hero!” It was clear, in this moment of confidence before his big sister, that the voice of his father had given him assurance in knowing just who he was.

In Ephesians 1:5, the apostle Paul encourages the church with a reminder of our identity as the blood-bought followers of Christ – we are adopted as “children of God.” In Ephesians 4:1, Paul uses our position in Christ, as he had established in chapters 1-3, to challenge our walk with Christ when he calls us to “live lives worthy” of our calling. The word “worthy” literally speaks of “an equal or balanced weight.” The point is powerful – the weight of our lives is meant to live up to the weight of our calling. What a great reminder of our calling — to live holy and pleasing lives to the Lord that measure up in weight to the high calling we have as children of the one true King!

Such a calling doesn’t make us a super-hero. Our frailty and imperfections certainly remind us of this fact day after day (Romans 3:23). And yet, while our high calling does not grant us super-hero status, it should fill us with a passion and a desire to love and please the Holy God who has called us to salvation and sanctification in Christ Jesus.

My friends, we are living in tough days. As we speak for and live for Christ, we are increasing maligned, mocked, and persecuted, and yet, we must remain firm in our proclamation of the truth of the gospel. Rest assured, the world considers us fools for all we hold dear. In these times, it is necessary to be reminded of who we are and to Whom we belong. No matter what this world calls us, as followers of Christ, may we humbly and confidently walk in the assurance of our heavenly Father’s voice, Who has called us “children of the King” (1 John 3:1)!

 

This entry was posted in Family, Uncategorized and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.