This question has been asked by millions of people all over the world. I have asked it many times in my own life. The answer, while not very complicated, is not an easy one either.
To nail down specifics of a calling, you must first get the foundation of your relationship with God set.
Micah 6:8 (NLT) says, “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.â€
He lets us know three things we are required to do. The first of these is to do what is right.
At first glance you might think this is easy; however, you’d be wrong. Many people associate doing what’s right with obeying laws, holding down a job, providing for your family, and attending church on Sunday morning. While this is absolutely good, it is not all we’re talking about when we say “doing right.†What about when you see someone in need and just pass on by, or hear someone talking about being sad and down and you do nothing to lift them up?
James 4:17 says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.†So you see? There’s a whole lot more to “doing right.â€
Then there’s “loving mercy.†Now, we all love mercy to be given to us, because it means we don’t get what we deserve; however, just like doing right, “loving mercy†is much more than just receiving it in our own life.
To truly love mercy, you must be willing to give it out as well. If you truly love something you need to share it with others so they can fall in love with it as well. If you love music, you’ll want others to hear the music you’re making. If you love carpentry, you’ll want others to see the work of your hands. And if you truly love mercy, you’ll want to share that with the world. That means not jumping to judgment, not ridiculing someone for making a mistake, not always tearing down others, and so on.
We must be willing to give out mercy the same way Jesus gave it to us. I, for one, am glad that Jesus doesn’t hold me accountable for all the stuff I’ve done in my life.
And finally there is “walking humbly with your God.†Humility requires you to put someone else’s needs in front of your own. When we talk about living humbly in front of God, it means we must place what He wants in front of what we want. And again, there’s much more than meets the eye here.
Since walking humbly with God requires you to put Him before yourself, you must also place other people’s needs ahead of your own.
When the Church began, they had this figured out. Acts 2:25 says, “They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.†Boy, talk about placing other’s needs ahead of your own! They sold everything so they could provide for those who had nothing.
Now I’m not suggesting you go sell all your possessions and give them away; only God could convict you to do something like that. What I’m saying is, stop for a second and ask yourself what you have done for someone else lately. Have you sacrificed a little time? Have you given to a worthy ministry? Have you loved someone who is hard to love?
So back to the question I posed at the beginning…  “What does God want from me?†The answer is, to do right, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.
As far as a specific task or calling in your life, start by doing the basics and let God reveal the specifics as you faithfully serve Him. If you seek Him, you will find Him. And, somewhere along the way, God will reveal His plan for your life.
God bless you and I hope you all have a great week in the Lord.
By Wade Phillips, special to SGNScoops Magazine
About Wade Phillips:
I was born in Conroe, Texas and raised in Madisonville Texas. My life truly began on October 9, 2001, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I’m married to the love of my life, Tonya Phillips, and we have a wonderful son, Nicholas, daughter-in-law, Courtney, and grand baby Anna Grace. Jesus is my passion and that passion comes out in the songs God allows me to write and sing and in His Word that He allows me to preach. I am the most joyful when I’m singing praises to the King and preaching His Word to the people. All glory goes to God for everything in my life. It is my hope that as you listen to the songs I sing and as you hear the messages God gives me you will be touched by His spirit.
The most important thing I’d like you to know about me is that I love Jesus with all my heart, soul and mind. “I once was lost, but now I’m found,†fits me to the core. In my young adult years, I chased the dream of being a country music singer. I had the opportunity to open for many of the greats in country music; Gene Watson, Toby Keith, Wade Hayes, Perfect Stranger, Bellamy Brothers, and Tim Rushlow from Little Texas, just to name a few. I thought that obtaining fame and recognition would fill the desires of my heart and give me everything I needed to be successful in this life. I quickly found out that fame and fortune wouldn’t even come close to obtaining those things.
It was only after I found Christ that I realized what true fulfillment was. In that moment, my life changed completely.
I am now chasing Jesus in everything I do. I had the honor of serving at Madisonville Christian Fellowship from 2003 until September 2017; 5 Years as the Youth Pastor, and the rest as the Senior Pastor. God blessed me and the church during that time and now He has called me into a new and exciting ministry.
I am looking forward to seeing what God does through this ministry. Please take a second to pray for Me and Tonya as we go out into the world to share Jesus.
In His Service,
Wade Phillips
Read the latest issue of the SGNScoops Magazine HERE.
