This week’s devotions are based on Rooted – Week 6 “I am Called” (WATCH HERE)
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Ephesians 4:1
Have you ever wondered what God is calling you to do? We often think of calling as a special assignment, a career, a ministry, or some great purpose God has planned for our lives. We ask questions like, “What does God want me to do?” or “What is my purpose?” Those are important questions, but Ephesians invites us to begin somewhere else. Before we think about what God has called us to do, we need to remember what God has called us to be.
Paul says that we have received a calling. We did not earn it. We did not achieve it. We did not become worthy enough for God to give it to us. We received it.
That is the pattern we have seen throughout Ephesians. We are chosen. We are redeemed. We are made alive in Christ. We are brought near. We are connected to God’s people. None of these things happened because we were good enough. They happened because God is gracious.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” God’s calling begins with grace.
That matters because we are often tempted to turn even God’s gifts into something we have to earn. We can begin to think that God will be more pleased with us if we serve more, accomplish more, give more, or do more. We can measure our spiritual lives by our performance. When we do well, we feel worthy. When we fail, we wonder whether God could still use us.
But the Gospel tells us something different.
Your calling begins with what Christ has already done for you.
Jesus did not wait for you to become worthy before he gave himself for you. He came for sinners. He lived the perfect life you could not live. He died the death your sins deserved. He rose again and gives you forgiveness and life. In Baptism, he placed his name upon you and made you his own.
You are not working your way toward an identity. In Christ, God has already given you one.
That means your calling does not point first to how great you are. It points back to how great God’s grace is.
You are called by grace to belong to Christ. You are called to live as his person wherever he places you. You do not have to accomplish something extraordinary before your life has meaning. You do not have to prove yourself worthy of God’s love.
You belong to Jesus.
That is where your calling begins.
And because you belong to him, you can step into this day with confidence. Whatever today brings, you can live as someone who has already received the greatest gift of all. You are Christ’s.
Reflect: Where am I tempted to measure my worth by what I accomplish rather than by what Christ has done for me?How might remembering that I am called by grace change the way I approach today?
Prayer: Gracious Father, thank you for calling me to belong to Christ. I confess that I often try to earn what you have freely given. Remind me that my identity and my calling are gifts of your grace. Help me live today as your forgiven and dearly loved child. Wherever you place me, use my life to reflect the grace I have received through Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen.