Written by Paul Lane
The Word
“1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
“6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
Reflection
The church is called the bride of Christ, and it is a body that God is intent on perfecting. The work of perfecting this bride is the most noble call a person can have. The trouble comes in when you realize that this perfecting process is being done using very imperfect people. So, when Paul tells the people in the church to “…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called…” he is also preparing them to have the right mindset. It is as if he is saying, “you are doing a great work, so don’t let the little things bug you.”
Working at NASA I see so many young people coming in with stars in their eyes and a belly full of energy. They are so excited to be a part of it all and are happy to do any job. They all have a sense of taking part in a great work, so it easy for them to accept boring, tedious, or less desirable jobs for a time. It is a lot easier to endure a bad coworker if you know that the work is part of something great. Of course, we are all a bunch of engineers, so people skills are not always first order of business.
I have heard teachings on Proverbs 22:6 many times, and they always talk about how this is not the parents picking their favorite occupation for their child. Rather, it is about the parents watching the child and coming to understand the child’s nature. Once that nature is observed, the child’s purpose and calling will become clearer and it is that type of training that the child should receive. If you then ask the question, where does one’s nature come from, you will clearly see that the associated calling is noble. For it is God who makes that nature of each man and thus is the one who gives callings. So, what greater work could there be than to pursue the call given by the Lord.
Application
Sure, you can spend time thinking about how making your next PowerPoint presentation is really bring forth the kingdom of God is new and exciting ways. But at a deeper level, you can attend all that our hand finds to do as if it were for the Lord. There is not job so small that it does not fit in God’s calling. There is no annoyance so great that it overshadows God work in your life. God is preparing a bride, and that is the greatest of works.
Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray for your grace and patience. I also pray that my walk will be worthy of the calling You have placed on my life, that I might serve the church and attend the work in the bride of Christ. To the praise of Your glory and grace. Amen.
City Life Starter 
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