CALLING NOT A CHOICE

PRACTICE: Humor me – make a list of your enemies.

I don’t think I know or have heard of anyone who says that their calling in life is to hate. Love or hate is a choice. BUT I know for a fact that we are all called to love our neighbor as ourselves and that love can’t be (shouldn’t be) selective (to like is selective). We are called to even love our enemies. Unfortunately, the call to love is often treated as a choice.

For the rest of this piece, I will not speak about we or you. I will concentrate on me. What you do after reading this becomes a part of your self-awareness journey.

Personally, I find it hard at times to separate my calling to love someone from their politics, their chosen lifestyle, their actions that are so opposite of mine and any number of other qualifiers. I hear myself saying things like, “I love them but…” Anything spoken and followed by “but,” leaves me in danger of negating my profession of love. My model of living love is being challenged in the current world environment.

So, how do I try to correct my course? I am trying to stay true to my calling by doing a lot of self- examination of my motives. And I am looking at the example historical figures like Nelson Mandela, Martin L. King and Mother Teresa have set before us. I am guided by the way my husband, my friend, Gloria and my pastor, Jacob live their love call. This list is long. What I have learned from a bit of study and a lot of observation is that those who intentional embrace the human calling of love for humanity, live love daily - not always by choice and certainly not always easily.

Back to you – intentionally decide to live love…develop a plan … work daily at implementing the plan…expect obstacles.

1 Peter 3:19

PONDER THIS THOUGHT – Freedom to choose hinders/helps me live out the call on my life.