“God has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.” ~Martin Luther.
I was wrestling with the concept of design. What I mean by design is, I believe that God has a purpose in all of lives that we are all uniquely design to do. No one else can do it; it is special to each of us. What I was questioning was not that I was formed and design by God, but what that thing was that he had for me to do, or is it just one thing.
See when I turned my life over to God I felt a strong pulling to devote my life to fulltime vocational ministry, but that was over eleven years ago, I have grown and matured, gained more biblical knowledge, God could not have created me just for the purpose of ministry truly it is just a choice right? This was the question that I was wrestling with; this began to become a burden to me. So I did what any good Christian would do I came to the conclusion that we are all called to ministry and that God could not have formed and design ME specifically for that since he calls all his believers to that right?
Since everyone of us are called to be ministers of reconciliation to the world, I then started looking for what I would devote my life to as far as a career. I looked, and looked, and looked some more. In the end it always came back to I am doing this for the money not because it is my passion. Ok what is my passion I love helping people and serving those who are in need, my heart breaks for the single mother, and the kids who don’t have a father in their life. My heart breaks that there are people who if they would only come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ would not have to live in hell any longer. It took another Christian tell me that it was up to me to be the one to tell those about the God who had saved me and brought sanity to my life, and if I would not tell them then who would. Wow that is when it hit me I was created for the purpose of being Gods mouth piece. God had designed me for this but a lack of faith had prevented me from acting on it.
Matthew 14:22-31Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I remember reading this story and being so confused, how could Peter call out and hear the Lords voice, get out of the boat and start walking to Jesus on the water, and then let some wind and waves cause him to doubt and begin to sink. How could this happen. Easy Peter took his eyes of the Lord and looked at the impossibility of his situation. I should not be out here in this sea walking on the water this is crazy I am going to die. I use to think it was crazy I would have never doubted, no I would have never even gotten out of the boat.
Jesus Christ showed himself to me just as he did with Peter. Yes Peter saw him as a man face to face, but I have seen the works of his hands with my own eyes and I still doubted. The Lord called to Peter and he doubted, the Lord called me and I doubted. How about you, what are you and God wrestling about, what is God calling you to that seems so impossible? Whatever it is you must trust that it is the best thing for you. God does not need more armchair quarterbacks; he need men and women to answer Gods call and get in the game.
Will you answer his call and get out of the boat?
