This week’s devotions are based on Rooted – Week 6 “I am Called” (WATCH HERE)
“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”
Philippians 1:12
Paul wrote those words from prison. His circumstances were not what he would have chosen, yet he could see that God was still at work. His calling had not been canceled by his circumstances. In fact, God was using the very situation that seemed to limit Paul to advance the Gospel.
We often think our calling begins when life gets settled. We imagine we will serve God better when we have more time, fewer responsibilities, better health, a different job, more money, or fewer problems. We can begin to see our circumstances as obstacles between us and the life God wants us to live.
Paul saw them differently.
He understood that his calling was not dependent upon having ideal circumstances. He belonged to Christ, and therefore wherever he was, he could live as Christ’s person.
That is an important lesson for us. God does not call us only when life is going according to plan. He calls us in the middle of real life.
You are called in your workplace, even when your job is frustrating. You are called in your family, even when relationships are difficult. You are called in your neighborhood, even when you feel unnoticed. You are called in seasons of uncertainty, disappointment, and change. You are called in the ordinary routines that sometimes seem insignificant.
Paul’s words remind us that God is able to use circumstances we would never choose to accomplish purposes we cannot yet see.
“What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”
That doesn’t mean every difficult circumstance is good. Scripture never asks us to pretend that suffering doesn’t hurt. But it does remind us that suffering does not put us outside God’s care or beyond his ability to work through us.
Perhaps today you find yourself somewhere you never expected to be. Maybe your plans have changed. Maybe you are carrying responsibilities you didn’t ask for. Maybe you are waiting for something to change before you feel useful again.
Remember your calling.
You belong to Christ.
Your life is his.
And wherever he has placed you today, you have an opportunity to live as his person.
Sometimes calling looks like something dramatic. More often, it looks like faithfulness in a place no one else sees. A kind word. An honest decision. A patient response. A prayer. An act of service. A quiet witness.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect circumstances to live faithfully.
Wherever you are, Christ is with you. And wherever Christ has placed you, you are called.