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God called his prophets regularly, not the other way around. All the epistles of the New Testament are written with the assumption that people stay right where they are, salt and light in their present vocations,{{more: continue …}} like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:20: “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.”
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Romans 12:2 says : “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” So discerning the will of God means you must have a renewed mind. I am assuming that the will of God here refers not to commandments of Scripture, which you don’t need a renewed mind to read and know, like, “thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). You don’t need a renewed mind to know that is against the will of God.
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In Romans 12:2 Paul is talking about in: How do biblical teachings and all the other relevant factors come together to produce a direction for my life that God approves and will bless? Which leads now to a second point: That renewal comes mainly through the Word of God and prayer. So when he says, “be renewed in your mind,” I think he means, “soak your mind and heart, marinate your mind and heart, saturate your mind and heart with the Word of God.” The Christian mind is shaped by the Word of God all the while praying, praying, praying. O God, shape me. O God, make me. O God, bring me to conform to this Word at the depths of my being.
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The renewed mind takes seriously your spiritual gifts. What are they? God is not calling you to do something he has not gifted you to do. What is the gifting? And I think gifting that Paul and Peter have in mind is summed up in 1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” That is what gifts are: varied grace incarnate in human personalities which we possess and use for the good of others. Do you know how God is gifting you in this way?
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On Sunday we will look at God’s call through Samuel. Come join us. See you on Sunday!
“I don’t know how, but I know WHO!”
Peace,
Pastor Nelda?Rev. Dr. Nelda Barrette Murriane, First United Methodist Church of Kennedale?
