"I have always struggled with the idea of a personal calling. Some leaders I consulted say that it needs to be sought out. Others say, like Augustine said, love God, and do what you please. Basically, love Him, and God will be with you no matter where you go, and give you the wisdom to make those decisions. Anyway, I just want to make a wise decision."
There is a lot to be said here, as I have had a lot of time to think about this statement that Augustine said. Do what you please????? How man centered is this? Unfortunately I did not bring this to his attention when I responded. But mans number one goal is to glorify Christ. John Piper put it best in one of my favorite quotes. Be prepared, because this quote is rather long.
“You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know a few great things that matter, and to be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by a few great things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries into eternity, you don't have to have a high IQ; you don't have to have to have good looks or riches; you don't have to come from a fine family or a fine school. You have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things, and be set on fire by them.
“But I know that not at all of you want your life to make a difference. There are many of you - you don't care whether you make a lasting difference for something great. You just want people to like you. Or if you could just grow up and have a good job with a good wife and a couple of good kids and a nice car and long weekends and a few good friends, a fun retirement, and quick and easy death and no hell - if you could have that - you'd be satisfied.” “That is a tragedy in the making.”
“Three weeks ago we got word at our church that Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards had both been killed in Cameroon. Ruby was over 80. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: To make Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. Laura was a widow, a medical doctor, pushing 80 years old, and serving at Ruby's side in Cameroon. The brakes failed, the car went over the cliff, and they were both killed instantly. And I asked my people: was that a tragedy? Two lives, driven by one great vision, spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ—two decades after almost all their American counterparts have retired to throw their lives away on trifles in Florida or New Mexico. No. That is not a tragedy. That is a glory.”
“I tell you what a tragedy is. I'll read to you from Reader's Digest what a tragedy is: ‘Bob and Penny... took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda , Florida , where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.’ The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be, ‘I collected shells. See my shells, God?’ THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I want to plead with you: don't buy it.
One example I did share with the e-mailer is a personal one of mine. When I was growing up I feel in love with the aspect of flying. I wanted to be an airline pilot. But God had different plans for my life in putting me into the ministry. I could have stuck with the whole pilot thing and been good, but not successful. But by following God's will for my life, than I believe I will be extremely successful.
1 Timothy 1:12 says, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry"... For me Christ did just that. He counted me faithful enough to allow me to be apart of His great work here on earth. For that I am very thankful.
So I ask you this question. Whose will do we follow? Our own or God's??? For me... it is God's, no questions asked.
I hope I have explained myself well with my thoughts, if not at least got your brain thinking.
Thanks