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| Friday, November 27, 2009
Devotional: Called Writer: Tan Wai JiaAnd you child of God, Were made for the King, Chosen to bring Him glory, For a royal destiny And the highest calling, Not to be lost In the dust of small purposes. -- Barbara Parsons Water, food, shelter and air are not enough for life on earth. Above these basic necessities is a need for a deep sense of purpose, a calling, to keep us alive day after day on this long journey called life. Why should this surprise us? God made us with a destiny in mind and for a purpose we were meant to fulfill. Dreams are the stuff we are made to live for. Most, if not all of us, have dreamed of using our unique talents to change lives, impact communities, and to lead a victorious life. How full of enthusiasm we once were to fulfil them! But the boredom of our everyday humdrum and the ups and downs we face seem to mist the vision ahead. Sometimes, we see God bringing us closer to our callings; at other times, we simply doubt how we could ever fulfill them. Up and down, up and down. Since when did riding on life's carousel become so frustrating? Lord, wasn't I called into real battle to ride on real steeds? If I really were called to a priestly kinghood, why don't I feel like a king? Is there really more to the routine mediocrity of everyday life, an adventure greater than I could imagine with a role waiting for me to step into? When I first believed in God just before I entered medical school, I felt a deep conviction to serve the needy through medical missions. Since then, my heart has been filled with a mixture of longing, doubt and anticipation. It is a dream which has consumed my heart. Yet, the dream seems so far away, for it would take almost a decade from its conception to the completion of my medical training. Because of the long preparation period, I sometimes feel lost in between the there and the now. Frustrated with waiting, discouraged by challenges and the ups and downs of medical school, I sometimes doubt my calling. God, is this my idea or yours? Ever since my first book Kitesong was published three years ago and I felt God's call to write, I had written and illustrated two other manuscripts. Till now, they have not been published. God, didn't you call me to write and paint for your kingdom's purposes? Why does the vision seem so faraway now? But we forget that God, unlike us, always sees the big picture. Our sense of loss comes from seeing only one point in time without a view of the destiny at the end. Our ups and downs are not for nothing. Joseph was a man who was given a dream to be a king. From the birth of his dream till its reality, however, was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. Right after he was given a grand vision, he was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery. Then, right after God had raised him up to be overseer of his master's house, he was thrown into the depths of prison! At this low point, who would've thought that Joseph would then rise to the top of the ladder even in jail, or that he would finally find favour in Pharoah's sight? Indeed, just like us, Joseph's life was full of ups and downs. From the conception of his calling to its fulfillment were many intentional valleys, in which he could've easily lost faith in the vision God had given him many years ago.  Do you sometimes feel like a Joseph, thrown into jail? In a deep-valley experience, do you find it impossible to believe that God has a kingly plan for your life? The good news is that God has called us into a royal priestly kinghood, to rule and reign with Him (1 Peter 2:9). The reason for our many ups and downs may not be evident to us at the time, but is certainly vital in His making of us to be real kings battling in real adventures. Our ups and downs, when joined together and seen from God's big-picture perspective, are the stuff our crowns are made of.  So hold on, stay focused. Just when you are thinking of getting off the carousel, you could be just one jewel away from being crowned, one step away from being called out of your darkness into the marvelous light, one step away to fulfilling His calling for your life. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light... -- 1 Peter 2:9
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