Worthy of the Call
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Insight
One fateful afternoon in 2011, my mom got a call from Caroline Kennedy, who told her she had won a national award named after President John F. Kennedy for fighting against racial discrimination in our school system. My mom was in utter shock and disbelief. Believing she was the victim of a prank, she immediately called her best friend to report the news. She was shaking so hard that her earring was hitting against her iPhone incessantly.
My mom knew that she wouldn't have been able to leverage her position for the good of God's people had it not been for His grace. As a result, she didn't feel worthy of the call she received that afternoon. After all, she had only been strong enough to fight against racial injustice because God gave her the power to do so.
She was honored alongside Christ because she had been faithful and courageous enough to respond to His call. At the end of the day, she was worthy of Ms. Kennedy's phone call—but only because the Spirit of God was (and is) at work through her.
We cannot influence the world around us in a meaningful way if we don't depend on His empowering grace. We can try our hardest to be kind, philanthropic, and brave—but apart from the Spirit of God, our acts of "goodness" can be self-motivated, shallow, and short-sighted.
His Spirit prompts us to do good works. And thankfully, He doesn't just command us to do good—He provides us with the strength and will to follow through. Our faith prompts us to forgive, change our judgmental thoughts toward others, and freely give away our time and resources. God gives us all the spiritual strength we need to accomplish these things. We don't have to hear the call, then go it alone. He goes with us!
Reflection
What is God prompting you to do? How can you trust that He will give you the courage and strength to follow through?
What "good" have you done recently that you've credited to yourself rather than God's grace? Do you believe that you deserve the glory for the good you do? Why or why not?
Prayer
Father, thank you for how Your grace empowers me to do good. I can only love others well because Your Spirit lives in me. None of my "goodness" starts with me. Help me to respond to Your call today with confidence, knowing that You will give me everything I need to accomplish great things for Your Kingdom. God, I can influence the broken world around me in a lasting, loving way because Your grace goes with me. Help me to give You all the glory for the things You do through me, Your servant. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today's devotional.