The Importance of Calling

Dr. Tony Evans: Don't freak out over it. Don't go through trauma over it. You simply say to God every day you get up, "Lord, take me one step closer to what you called me to be and do."
Anthony Evans: This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. If you've ever wondered why you're here, Dr. Evans says discovering that reason doesn't really need to be a struggle. Today, he'll explain how each of us can be certain about our place in the world. Let's jump right in as he begins.
Dr. Tony Evans: Nothing can replace finding and fulfilling your niche in life. Many of us—this was a male thing, not exclusively but particularly—men find fulfillment in climbing the ladder. Men find fulfillment in the success. Men find fulfillment in getting to the top, in being number one. But what a tragedy to climb the ladder to the top and when you get there discover it was leaning against the wrong wall because you were not elevating toward your purpose, you were just fulfilling some man-made scheme of who you ought to be. Far too many people are living unfulfilled lives, and there's one simple reason. They have no purpose. They have no God-ordained purpose, that is. They have no supernatural reason for being. They cannot say, "This is why you have me here." Until you can answer that question, your calling is fuzzy, it is unclear, it needs to be clarified. Success is not what you have done compared to what others have done. Success is what you have done compared to what you were supposed to do. You are successful when you have done what you are supposed to do, not what somebody else did or what everybody else thinks you ought to be doing. Trust me, everybody has a plan for your life. Well, since you're going to be listening to other folks' plans anyway, it might as well be God's because that is the one that will produce fulfillment. "I have come to give you life and I have come to give it to you more abundantly." Why are so many Christians not living an abundant life? Because so many Christians are living a life without divinely ordained purpose. So the first reason that you need to know and pursue this all-encompassing concept of your calling is because it will provide the answer to the question of fulfillment. It's more important than any other discovery you will make in your life, bar none. The promotion, the raise, whatever it is that you're hoping for, nothing can replace your calling. Secondly, it will answer the issue of direction in life. Paul says in 1st Corinthians Chapter 9, Verse 26, "Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim. I box in such a way as not beating the air." In other words, I'm not just out here aimlessly going around in circles. I have a direction for my life. I know where I'm going. My direction is clear. If you don't know where you're going, then you don't know what route to take to get there. When you find your calling, when your calling finds you—and we'll explain that as we go along—it will answer another question, and that is the question of stability. It will solve the issue of stability. In other words, circumstances will no longer control your decisions. A lot of us are blown about by every wind of situation. Something comes up, we want to quit, run, drown, anything we can come up with because stuff is always coming up. Look, stuff is always going to come up. The question is, are you in your calling? Because if you're in your calling, God gives you the ability to handle the stuff that shows up in your calling. One of the ways you know you're in your calling is on your worst day of your calling, you still know you're called. On the worst day, you still know you're right smack dab in the center of what God wants you to do and therefore you can keep on going because you've been called. And when that happens, it gives you stability. Paul said because he was in his calling, "I know how to be abased, have nothing. I know how to be abound, have extra." In other words, my financial situation fluctuates. The Dow is up, the Dow is down. The Nasdaq is up, the Nasdaq is down. But whether my day is up or down, whether it's a good year or a bad year, it really doesn't matter because I have learned to be content in whatever state I find myself because I find myself where he wants me to be. I'm right smack dab where he wants me to be whether the finances are up or down. Here's a big one. It answers the question of significance. Too many of us feel insignificant. But guess what? Your calling is your calling and only you can be called to your calling. In other words, you matter. Psalm 139 says, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." If you ever feel insignificant, read Psalm 139. God says he stitched you in your mama's womb. He made you exactly like he wanted you to be. He put you in the race he wanted you to be a part of. He made you the gender that he wanted you to be. He has made you exactly what he wanted you to be. He's given you the features unique to you because you matter in your significance. You are a uniquely designed person. God has so arranged it to allow the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences to occur in your life so that they would help facilitate you for your calling. You've got to think about that because that's deep. That stuff that you went through as a child or as a teenager, that experience that you can't shake off of your mind and you wondered, "Why did God let me go through that?" When you get your calling and God the Holy Ghost plays back the tape, you're going to see how he took all that mess and plugged it into the miraculous purpose for which he called you. It was all part of the plan. So it gives significance. Fifthly, it answers the question of provision because God always provides for what he calls. Let me say that again. Maybe you're not getting the Lord's provision because you're outside of your calling and he's not obligated to provide for your calling. He's obligated to provide for his calling on your life. All of us have warranties. Those warranties are given by the company who stand behind the product. A warranty is only as good as the agency that can stand behind it. Your calling is a warranted product that has God's warranty on it. He'll always stand behind your calling because it's his product because remember, nobody ever calls themselves. You have to be called by the producer of the product. So the calling has to come from God. But God warranties everything he calls and that's why if you read it too fast you'll miss it. Look here in Romans Chapter 8, Verse 26: "And in the same way the Spirit also helps weaknesses, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." And he searches the heart, knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for the saints. Now notice this: "According to the will of God." In other words, the Holy Spirit only talks to God on your behalf if what you're talking to God about is what God is interested in talking about, which is his calling. If you are called according to his purpose, now you can pray because the Holy Ghost has something to talk to God about when you talk. Most of us are talking a lot about nothing because it's not related to our calling. Mother Teresa saw a lady dying in front of a hospital. She stayed with her until she died. It was that day that she said she was called. She was called to the hurting and the poor, lepers and the disenfranchised and the hurting in India. She started with 12 ladies. It became the Missionaries of the Charity of Calcutta and 50 years later, there are over 3,000 nuns in 517 missions in 100 different countries all because she heard God call. Because when you listen to God's call, he always provides. "Elijah, this is what I want you to do. Now one day I'm going to feed you with a raven, another day I'm going to feed you from a widow from Zarephath. You just go where I tell you to go and I'll cover the provision." God always provides for his calls, always. That's why you want to be in your calling. Sixthly, it answers a most important question: the issue of time. We are all creatures of time. Ecclesiastes 1 says there is a time, Chapter 3, Verse 1 and Verse 11, there is a time for everything. God has a clock. But God is not obligated to the clock because God is eternal. So God sits outside of the clock. We're obligated to the clock because we are not eternal; we sit inside of time. That's why Ephesians Chapter 5, Verses 15 and 16 says, "Redeem the time. Buy it back. Don't lose it. Don't waste it. Make the most out of it." Because the days are evil, he says.
Anthony Evans: Dr. Evans will take a deeper look into the connection between our time and our purpose when he continues our message in just a moment. First, though, I'd like to tell you about a resource package that builds on what we've been learning, that God has an agenda not just for the world but for each and every one of us, custom-designed to give us the deep sense of satisfaction that comes from making a real difference. It begins with Tony's current two-volume, 12-message series called "Called for a Purpose," where you'll discover how God prepares ordinary people to fulfill extraordinary kingdom assignments. And to help you continue growing between the messages, we'll also include Tony's inspiring "Called for a Purpose" devotional book. Through daily scripture readings and practical encouragement, it'll help you stay focused on God's plan and faithfully pursue the purpose he created just for you. We'll send you this complete resource package as our thank-you gift when you make a contribution to support the ministry of The Alternative. We depend completely on your support to keep this program on the air. And this is one way we can express our appreciation for your faithfulness. Call us today at 1-800-800-3222 for more information on the Called for a Purpose resource package. Remember, what matters is God's purpose for putting you on this planet and nothing can stand in the way of that but you. Again, give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 or visit us online at tonyevans.org. I'll repeat that contact information for you after part two of today's message and this.
Guest (Male): Life moves fast and sometimes the most important thing you can do is slow down.
Anthony Evans: You're invited to join Dr. Tony Evans and special guests Priscilla Shirer and Anthony Evans on a seven-day Caribbean cruise of rest and renewal beginning February 28th. Set sail from Fort Lauderdale to visit stunning destinations like Nassau, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, and even a private island in the Bahamas. But this journey is more than scenic beauty. It's a time to reconnect with God and with others. You'll experience life-changing teaching, uplifting worship, and moments of peace that are hard to come by in the middle of everyday life. Whether it's a quiet morning on deck or a shared moment of praise with fellow believers, every part of this cruise is designed to refresh your body and your soul. Make plans now to step away so you can step back renewed. Visited tonyevans.org for details and reservations. That's tonyevans.org.
Dr. Tony Evans: Time is given for one reason. Let me tell you why time is given. Time is given to accomplish your purpose. If God has ordained you to live to be 75, that is because God ordained that at age 75, you should have completed your purpose. Time is related to purpose. We set our clocks to get up at 8:30 because we have a purpose. We have to go to work. Time is tied to purpose. Therefore, if you don't have purpose, you will not use time wisely. You will waste it, abuse it, misuse it, not learn from it. Now that creates a problem because many of us have wasted a lot of time. What your calling does is it gives you God's perspective on your use of the time you have left. Now I know what you're saying. You say, "What if I lost my time? What if I should have been working on this? I got saved at 20, I fooled around till I was 45, 25 years. Now I'm 45 and now I want to find my calling." What do I do because that doesn't change my time? In fact, I have now less time. Well, thank God for grace because the Bible says he can give you back the years the locust have taken away. So don't throw in the towel yet just because you're starting later. But neither should you use that as an excuse for waiting. You know why? Because nobody here knows how much time they have. You don't know whether it's 55 or 65. It's appointed unto man, in case you didn't know, once to die, and after that the judgment. It's appointed. That's why I like to say nobody in here knows if they're old or not. If you're 50 and you're going to live to be 100, you're a fairly young fellow. If you're 20 and only going to live to be 30, you're a fairly old guy. And since nobody knows when they're going to die, nobody knows really who's the old folk and who are not. So since God has kept that quiet, you redeem the time. You make the most of the time you have left, or in the words of a great philosopher, a man's got to know his limitations. You got to know the limitations of time. And that is on this earth you have a limited amount of it and it is fixed. You will not live a day longer than you're supposed to. I don't care how often you go to the gym, how many vitamins you take. You say, "I can't die, I'm too healthy." You will not live one day longer than you're supposed to live. While you can't affect the quantity of your life, you can affect its quality. You can die before your time, quote-unquote. You cannot live longer than your time. Understand? It's fixed. Jesus was so time-conscious. They come to get him and he says, "My time is not yet come." He knew it wasn't time. Your parents ever tell you that? "It's not time yet." You want to grow up too fast. "It's not time." Your time has not yet come. Some of you saying, "But I haven't got my blessing yet." It's not time. Your time is not yet come. But even though his time hadn't come, his purpose was clear. Then when his time came, he said, "The time of all things is at hand. It's time." You may want God to do something for you now he doesn't want to do for five years from now. And if he gave it to you now, you'd mess it up. And so you've got to go through the process of being developed for it. Psalm 90, Verse 12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may live each day with wisdom." If you think about death, good, because every single time you think about death, it should remind you of time. And when you think about death, you should say to yourself, "Since I'm going to die, I better start living." And the only way to live and be alive is fulfilling your purpose, your calling. Martin Luther King stood up at 39 years old on that March on Washington August 28, 1963 and he said, "Longevity has its place." He says, "I want to live." But then he talked about his stability. "I don't fear any man. I'm not afraid of any circumstance." See, that's a man talking out of his calling. When you're up there and folks are threatening your life and you're leading a civil rights movement and you're standing up there a target for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and you stand up there and you say, "Yeah, I would like to live. I would like to raise my kids." "But I am not afraid because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." You can only see that from the pulpit of your calling. It's when you're in your calling that you see the Lord. That 39 isn't that old from a time standpoint, it was old in terms of how long he had left to live, but when it came to his purpose, it was clear. So if you are pursuing your purpose, you are doing the best thing you could do with the rest of your life. It will answer your fulfillment questions. You won't have to get illegitimate fulfillment. It will answer your stability, provision, and significance questions. It will answer the questions of life if you pursue your calling. And as you will discover, it's not hard to pursue. In fact, if you're pursuing it right now, you simply say to God every day you get up, "Lord, take me one step closer to what you've called me to be and do." You put it in his hands. Don't worry about it. Don't freak out over it. Don't go through trauma over it. Say, "Lord, I am available to be called." If you have a stamp and an address, the post office will take your mail and deliver it to its intended destination. But it's got to have those two things. It's got to have where it's supposed to go and it's got to have the stamp on it to get it there. If you take to the post office a letter, an envelope with either no address or no stamp, it's not going anywhere. The post office only delivers based on the address that it has and it has the right stamp. You don't want God to say at the end of your life, "Return to sender" because you were going nowhere. Because there was no forwarding address. You weren't going anywhere. You just kind of meandered around and you just dropped things in the post office going nowhere. It's now time to live for your purpose, your duly appointed calling so that at the end of your life you can say like Paul, "I fought a good fight. I kept the faith and I finished my course. And now is there laid up for me a crown of righteousness." But I like this last line: "Not for me only, but for everybody who can say the same thing I said when I die." And he writes in Second Timothy and he says, "The time of my departure is at hand. God's not going to get me out of this one. But that's okay because I'm finished anyway."
Anthony Evans: Dr. Tony Evans talking about the satisfaction of fulfilling your mission in life, part of his series called "Called for a Purpose." This two-volume, 12-message collection is available on CD, USB flash drive, or instantly downloadable MP3s. It contains additional material we won't have time to present here on the broadcast. And for a limited time, when you request the series with your contribution, we'll also include Tony's companion "Called for a Purpose" devotional book. Together, these resources provide solid biblical teaching and daily encouragement to help you discover God's plan and faithfully live it out. You can get all the details at tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Again, that's tonyevans.org or call anytime of the day or night 1-800-800-3222. How much satisfaction can you get from following your life's calling? Tomorrow, Dr. Evans explains that it depends on who did the calling. Discover how to avoid getting wrapped up in the wrong agenda for your life. Be sure to tune in.