Persevere in Your Calling: A Reflection on Personal Growth and Faithful Living
In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, it's easy to lose sight of our direction. Sometimes, the currents of life pull us in different directions, causing us to drift without intention or purpose. At times a once faithful missionary or minister of the Gospel can drift into sin and fall. We all know faithful ministers of the Gospel that we have gained so much from who have, for one reason or another, stained their long fruitful ministry and failed to finish well. As believers, we are called to live with a clear vision, deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible. We are called to run our race, fulfill our callings, and finish well [1] [2]. Let's delve into this concept by reflecting on a verse that offers profound wisdom for our Christian walk.
Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. -- 1 Tim. 4: 16
Pay Close Attention to Yourself and Your Teachings
This verse holds a critical message: we must be vigilant and purposeful in our personal growth and the teaching we impart to others. There's a lot to be said in this verse, which we won't have time to get into today. Yet, the point remains: Pay attention to yourself and what you're teaching.
All of us give careful attention to many things every day. In these crazy times leading up to a critical election in the US, for example, it does us well to pay careful attention. We cannot let ourselves be fooled and deceived by various forms of propaganda and lies. We must be critical thinkers able to reason well. (Can we truly believe, for example, that the same people who are happy to murder babies in the womb have in mind our best interests?)
Regarding the careful attention to ourselves and our teaching:
How many of us consider carefully and consistently the conditions of our souls?
How many of us are vigilant as to what goes into our eyes, ears, and minds?
How many consider the words coming from our mouths, words which reveal the true condition of our hearts?
Living soberly as followers of Christ, we must remind ourselves of the context in which we live. We abide in a fallen world where very little (perhaps nothing) is as it ought to be. Sin and the fall plague everything! Few endeavors of ours go as they ought. Sweat, fatigue, and difficulties are always present in all we pursue in this life. In addition, each of us, though saved by grace, lives with an unredeemed flesh that weighs us down and in many ways is our greatest enemy.
Our flesh loves the praise of man. Our flesh despises suffering and pain; both of which are key parts to following Christ. Our flesh rages with pride. We all must also deal with the works of the Evil One who seeks only to steal, kill, and destroy[3]. We may let our guard down and take moments of relaxation, but our Enemy doesn't. There are times for R&R. It's part of God's plan that we rest, recreate, and enjoy normal aspects of life, but this too we must do by faith. Our enemy is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour[4]. And so we do well to pray regularly for the Lord to lead us not into temptation[5]. Our own pursuits can often cause us to walk on paths that may be deadly and dangerous to our souls. Let us pay close attention to ourselves, our words, what we pass on to others, and what we pursue in this life.
The race set before us is not a one-hundred-yard dash, but a marathon strewn with obstacles. And soldiers at war have enemies. Vigilance is not optional. We must be on our watch. -- Brian Hedges[6]
Maintain a Vision for Your Life
It’s essential not to just go with the flow or let the current take you wherever it pleases. Don't let the wind blow you all over the place[7]. Instead, have a vision for your life. Be about what God has called you to do. Be diligent in excelling and growing. This is something that not only missionaries need to understand and be reminded of but all of us as followers of Jesus Christ. Far too few believers today, to the dishonor of our Lord, have a clearly defined vision and purpose for their lives. At best, they simply pursue some personal dream with little consideration for the Lordship of Christ. At worst, they live with no aim at all, except perhaps to make money, eat, sleep, play, and survive with random moments of pleasure or self-gratification scattered throughout their days.
Christians have eternal and abundant life. Each day has its purpose. We are to glorify God and enjoy Him. To do this we must know the Lord rightly, according to the unchanging Scriptures. This requires a disciplined pursuit of reading and studying God's word. Then we are to apply the truth of His word in our daily lives; serving, evangelizing, discipling, providing for our own, and so on.
Each of us has the common call associated with the Great Commission of discipling the nations. We all play a part in this. At the same time, we all have unique and personal calls from the Lord based on where we live, our giftings, talents, and the current context of our lives (married, single, with or without children, etc). In short, we are to be active and intentionally living for Jesus where God has sovereignly placed us[8].
Follow Jesus Christ and Live for His Honor and Glory
Living in a fallen world plagued with maladies of every type, it is crucial that we routinely check in on ourselves, evaluating how we're doing in our spiritual walk and our commitment to God's calling. It’s vital to keep excelling and moving forward as we follow Christ. Generally speaking, idleness is not conducive to faithful Christian living. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" is a famous Puritan Proverb.
None of us fully arrive at being who we ought to be in this life, but we are each a work in progress, growing in grace while being actively formed and fashioned into the likeness of Christ. There’s a certain beauty when we read verses from Paul, where he encourages believers to "continue still more in your love for God or in doing this or in doing that." We are to be content in Christ, yet simultaneously never content but always striving forward and upward.
Let us stay enamored with knowing Jesus and living to please Him. Let us not fall into the trap of getting more excited about the things the Lord has called us to do than the Lord Himself. As Christians, we are called to grow and mature, but there are certain things we are never to outgrow. Knowing and pursuing Christ is one key thing we are never to grow out of or get tired of. All those who have failed to finish well or who have fallen into sin that dishonors Christ, have in one way or another first ceased to passionately pursue and enjoy God Himself.
Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more. - 1 Thess. 4: 1
Continue in Faithful Living
Reflecting on these teachings, let us be inspired to persevere in our calling and remain steadfast in our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us, saying, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
In conclusion, ensure that your life reflects the values and teachings of Christ. Pay attention to your personal growth, and your progress (or lack thereof), and maintain a vision that aligns with God's calling. By doing this, we not only enrich our spiritual lives but also positively impact those around us, inspiring faithful Christian living.
May we continue to persevere, grow, and excel in our faith, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith[9]. In essence, living a life of purpose under the Lordship of Christ and careful attention to our spiritual growth is not just beneficial for ourselves but for those who hear us and are influenced by our example. Let’s take heed of these biblical exhortations and strive together to live lives that honor and glorify God for all the days that He will grant us.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Phil. 3: 14
Written by Jesse Schreck | founder, director, and missionary church planter in Italy with Practical Missions Cohort
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Footnotes:
2 Timothy 4: 7 -- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.↩︎
Acts 20: 24 -- But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.↩︎
John 10: 10 -- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.↩︎
1 Peter 5:8 -- Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.↩︎
Matthew 6: 13 -- And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.↩︎
Watchfulness: Recovering a Lost Spiritual Discipline (p. 21). Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition. ↩︎
Eph. 4: 14 -- As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;↩︎
1 Cor. 7: 17 -- Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this way let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.↩︎
Heb. 12: 1-2 -- Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.↩︎
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