The Calling

God's Urgent Call
Called to Be Strong

Deborah and Barak

Hebrews 5:1-6. The Message

5 1-3 Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it’s like from his own experience. But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the peoples’.
4-6 No one elects himself to this honored position. He’s called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you!” In another place God declares, “You’re a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.”

For Reflection

 No one earns his or her way into the household of God. No one enters the Kingdom of God without sacrifice.  We have been created with a set of unique skills and abilities so that we may act in collaboration with God to advance the cause of justice and righteousness.  We are called to choose to live lives filled with compassion.  We are called to be humble servants of God and ministers to each other.  We are called to be stewards of this world, to use its resources responsibly, to treat each other respectfully, to uplift all with whom we come in contact.

There is nothing wrong with gaining wealth.  There is nothing wrong with a prudent eye toward defense.  But wealth and self-defense are not to be sought as an overriding objective.  The end game is to use our talents and capital as a tool to provide for the common defense and the common good. Our call is to shepherd each other.  God's blessings are intended to be used to maintain justice and righteousness.

Pray

Pray prayers of thanksgiving and praise to God for blessing us with resources and a guiding purpose for our lives.  Pray that you will give up any addiction to comfort and indifference.  Pray that you will wake up and cry in lamentation to God asking God to help us honor the story of our calling.