calling defense

I was reading Earl Creps’ latest update on his blog today and on it he makes an announcement: he’s planting a church. If you read this blog back in January at the beginning, I reviewed Earl’s book, Off-Road Disciplines. I think it’s a great book and now I look forward to following his adventure into church planting, especially since I’m toying with the same idea.

He gave some of the “factors” that have led him to this decision. Check them out at his blog.

Some of the factors were eerily familiar, but one really stood out to me. He said that his wife told him, “We have no defense against this.” In other words, what defense would they give for not planting a church?

It makes me think as well, what defense do I have from the calling God has placed in my life? Do I have a choice? Sure, but will I be happy? Probably not. Our calling is so ingrained within us; I think it’s buried in a spiritual strain of our DNA. It is a blueprint of who we are and what we are to become. It beckons to us in the quiet times, in the times of discontent, the voice that speaks, not what we can’t do, but the possibility of what we could become…what we could do.

I am reminded of the famous passage from Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I believe it is not just saying, do what God wants and you’ll get what you like, though that may be part of it. But I think the real message of this passage is that it is God who places these desires in our hearts. And as we enjoy our relationship with God and grow in it, we will find that he can bring these desires to fruition. Makes me want to dream…