“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (2 Timothy 1:9). Sometimes, when we are extended an official calling or otherwise are prompted to some act of service by the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, we may feel that based on our knowledge and experience and talents and skill set, we are not the best person for the job. This may be entirely true. But God does not call us “according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” When we are acting on the Lord's behalf, it is often less about what we in and of ourselves can bring to bear on the situation and more about being a vessel for our Father's power and grace and wisdom. When we choose to answer the call to serve, whomever, wherever, and in whatever capacity that may be, then as we put our trust in the Lord that He has called us specifically for a wise purpose then we can put aside our own ego and fears and insecurities and allow the grace of God to be channeled through us. We may be called to serve in the nursery and know nothing about children, even be afraid of them perhaps, afraid, at least, that our own capacities will not measure up, but if we trust that we have been called for a wise purpose and if we are led by the Spirit then we can be a blessing in the lives of those children and over time we will find that they will be a blessing in our lives. Moses was called to be a spokesman of the Lord, even though he was slow of speech. Paul was called to be a teacher and a leader over a people that he had betrayed and persecuted. We are not called according to our own works, skills, talents, or abilities. We are called according to the purpose and grace of God.
