"FROM PAUL, a bond servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God; It is through Him that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all the nations." - The Apostle Paul
What are you called to be in life?
What have you been "set apart" to do?
We are all called to promote obedience to something. To promote obedience to the gospel, law, medicine, health, public policy, one's dreams, the game (of a sport), etc.
We are all anointed to prosper or flow in something. In ancient days, priests would anoint individuals by rubbing or pouring olive oil on their head to represent the flow (empowering) of the Holy Spirit. Especially to present someone as divinely-authorized (appointed by God) to serve as prophet, priest or king or some distinct office:
· Saul was "anointed" to fill a government position as king of the Israelites.
· David was "anointed" for worship, as a military commander and eventual king to lead his nation in Saul's place.
· Rahab, a prostitute, was "anointed" (set apart by God) to provide cover for the 2 spies who surveyed Jericho before the city was taken and she became a part of the lineage and house of David that Jesus was born into.
God will even anoint your enemies (those you least expect) to set you up for a miracle:
"THUS SAYS the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him, and I will unarm and ungird the loins of kings to open doors before him, so that gates will not be shut. I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight]; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, Who calls you by your name. For the sake of Jacob My servant, and of Israel My chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no one else; there is no God besides Me. I will gird and arm you, though you have not known Me, that men may know from the east and the rising of the sun and from the west and the setting of the sun that there is no God besides Me. I am the Lord, and no one else [is He]. (Isa. 45:1-6)
God, Himself, anoints individuals so we cannot debate who is anointed and who is not.
When David was fleeing the pursuit of Saul, he knew Saul had lost his anointing because he was summoned to play for Saul for that very reason (1 Samuel 16:10-23.) Yet when presented with the opportunity to kill him and take the throne, David said, I will not touch the "Lord's anointed."
Interestingly, he referred to Saul, even in his backslidden state, as the "Lord's anointed." In other words, he was saying, "The anointed (Saul) is the Lord's responsibility. If God is going to put me on the throne, He will demote Saul in His time; I don't have to put myself up and other men down. God has promised to already do that. I just need to keep my heart right so I can rule without offense with God or man."
That person you have something against is God's responsibility not yours.
Release them and let it go, because you cannot make history with offense in your heart.
You cannot effectively lead from an identity crisis where the opinion or offense of men dictates your life and decisions.
Today, who are you?
In his recent article, "Try It-Maybe You Can," Zig Ziglar wrote:
"Nearly everybody recognizes the name of Nat "King" Cole. He was universally admired for his beautiful, silky-smooth voice. He could sing ballads as few have ever done. What many people do not realize is that he started his career as a piano player. One night in a West Coast club, the featured singer was ill and the owner demanded to know where he was. When Cole responded that he was sick, the club owner said, "If we don't have a singer there'll be no check." That night Nat "King" Cole became a singer. The rest is history."
When you have shattered your life, God will help you pick up the pieces and start all over again.
Stop saying what you can't do and start doing what you can do. You are called to be a history MAKER, not a history DWELLER:
- Maybe you cannot write well, but you can enroll into and complete a business writing class.
- Maybe you are not a great husband or wife, but you can register for marriage retreats and study materials on how to enrich your relationship and win your mate back.
- Maybe you are not great at managing your finances, but you can read bestselling books on how to get out of debt and become a millionaire.
What are you called to be and "set apart" to do?
It's time you rose up to do it and made history.
