Dear Friend,
It's been a while, but Happy Tuesday. If you're in America, then Happy Election Day! I know many might be on edge today as we wait with anticipation for the announcement of our next president, but whatever the outcome, you must remember that God is still in control.
It's intriguing that I find myself here, writing to you in anticipation of today's outcome because sometimes, we find ourselves chosen for roles we never imagined. Let me share with you how God led me into a life that I never thought I wanted or even knew to want.
If you've been following me since 2022, you're familiar with The Let There Be Challenge--the challenge that wasn't supposed to be a challenge. What I thought was a regular post about something I learned privately, turned out to be the start of something much bigger. I never intended to be a leader in any spiritual context; I was content as an academic.
But God had other plans, plans that I initially resisted.
It's not just a matter of being called to my current social position, but feeling chosen. Ultimately, the difference lies in the natural inclination or willingness to do the job. For instance, those who are called seem to move in their assignments effortlessly and with zeal. On the contrary, the chosen, like me, have to break up the ground and break through the hardness of the assignment. This is not saying that the called don't carry equal hardship, but the ease and joy that they carry seems to make their assignment palatable. For me, and maybe others like me, it seems we are carrying something that is unnatural and weighty. It's something that we have to study, train for, and accept with purpose and determination.
On some level, it's like an election.
I'm reminded of the story of Elijah. More specifically, the part in 1 Kings 19 when Elijah feels like he's the only one left fighting on God's behalf. In response, God says in verses 15-18,
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
In this passage, Elijah is tired of carrying the burden of his calling. I think the correct way to describe his feelings would be to admit that he simply cannot take it anymore. Therefore, God tells Elijah to go anoint his successors. Indeed, Elijah has been carrying a significant weight because it takes three people to complete the assignment, so no one can blame him for his fatigue.
Yet, the people whom God suggests to succeed Elijah are elected. Webster's Dictionary defines elect (adj) as "carefully selected or chosen." While elect in its noun form means "one that is set apart (by divine favor)," signaling the church. The adjective definition gestures towards a selection process whereby the individual being considered has not put their bid in for the job.
While this is not a bad thing, it is a tricky thing.
The changing of the guard in the church signaled a significant shift for everyone. Those who have been recognizable are moving out of position, and two significant groups are taking their position. The two groups are those who are called for this season and the others who were chosen out of need. To be clear, the others are not second-class citizens. The others are the ones who God positioned in secular spaces to advance the Kingdom, but are now the trusted ones He has chosen to help clean up the mess the former group made.
This shift is a testament to God's plan and our roles in it.
As I've been thinking about the shifts that my life has taken over the last two years, I keep coming back to the idea of being chosen by God. Honorable? Yes. Difficult? Absolutely. While I was built to be a leader, there is a disconnect between me and the job. Of course, I could very well be the drama; I will not lie. Yet, the disconnect is still there.
I admit I do not fully understand the job for which I was elected. It could be that the job was created especially for me, so there might not be a reference point. Whatever the case, I am needed, and so are you.
Without a cause, God would not have snatched us out of our routine and into Kingdom position. While we may feel like we were thrown in without warning, we were created for such a time as this.
So, it's up to us to embody our elected position.
I hope you'll accept the position!
The Let There Be Challenge is Back!
If you have yet to hear, registration for the 3rd annual Let There Be Challenge is now open, and I'd like you to be my special guest.
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