Hold all my calls sounds like dialog from a TV drama centered on the day to day grind of office life. The busy executive informs his assistant that he will be unavailable for a while because there is something so important that everything else must wait. One can only assume that any outside interruptions are not only unwanted but also are detrimental to the task at hand. Behind closed doors the talents that elevated the executive to his current position are put to work to ensure the best result possible is achieved.

It isn’t just the script to a TV show…

…hold all my calls is often the script to the spiritual life of the Christ follower. We believe that whatever is going on is of the utmost importance to God and any outside interruptions are not only unwanted but also are detrimental to the task at hand. Behind closed doors the talents we have are put to work to ensure the best result possible is achieved. Our mission is clear and our talents are obvious so don’t bother us with any outside interference.

Excuse me but there is someone calling that you need to talk to.

An interruption and just when you were making great headway. There’s that outside interference that we were trying to avoid.  Whoever it is you are busy and don’t have time to respond to their call. Your project is going to take everything you have leaving you no time or energy for whatever they are calling about.

The one whose call you are ignoring is God and the project you are exhausting all your resources on is what you assume He wants you to do. God calls us to serve in His perfect plan and empowers us to complete it but we often are too busy to take the call and too committed to our own talents to even imagine stepping outside of our human abilities.

We live in a world that rewards talent and encourages career advancement.

If you aren’t aiming to run the company, if you aren’t climbing the corporate ladder, then you are just a lazy grunt that lacks ambition, an everyday Joe whose future is no different than your past. Titles and talent speak louder than calling and commitment. The worldly view of life and accomplishment has become a part of the way we live out our faith. We apply our talents to achieve our ministry goals and therefore move up the corporate ladder of Christ following.

 Hold all my calls I’m too busy.

God is calling you to move from the title of Christ follower to the life of a Christ follower.

God wants to empower you to be more than just talented, everyone is talented, He wants to make you gifted, spiritually gifted.

When you don’t answer His call there is no reason for you to be empowered beyond the talents you have because when you don’t answer His call you don’t need anything more than you have.

From vocational pastors to pew warmers, there are people approaching life limited by their talents and guided by their own understanding of what it means to serve God.

Some questions to ask yourself.

Are you in a ministry because you are called or because it is your desired vocation/job (paid or volunteer)? Vocation requires a place to work – calling requires an obedient response to go anywhere.

Are you basing your ministry goals on your talents or spiritual gifts? Talents are from God, given to all and can be confused with spiritual gifts – spiritual gifts are from God and given to accomplish things beyond our natural talents.

Those relying on their talents and doing ministry to fulfill what they believe is the requirement that we must be busy doing something for God will find it difficult to take a, whatever God has for me, approach. They cannot step out in faith because talents are limited by being human and their ministry by a preconceived notion of what ministry is.

Those who live out their calling and use their spiritual gifts are those who are in ministry to accomplish whatever God has for them. They will see God’s call as an opportunity to live in faith.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (NIV)