This month my team helped our ministry hosts transcribe and write a book! I thought I would publish the chapter I wrote online (with a teammate Alyssa) from a sermon that our host preached on. It has really helped me see my walk with the Lord a lot clearer and I want to share this perspective.
This chapter is based off an interview that Brian and Nigel (our hosts) had with a former intern for their ministry. TAMI works with victims of sex trafficking and the Nepal slums to meet physical needs but also give them the power of Jesus and their testimony.
CHAPTER TWO: The Three Points
Brian and Nigel had the pleasure of interviewing Roshan, a former intern and student at the Agape Mission. Roshan’s testimony describes three main and important points when it comes to stepping into your calling and following the Lord completely.
The Starting Point
A few years ago Roshan came to Brian desperate, with open arms and a desire to learn. He said “I am ready to do anything. I am ready to wash vessels or take care of clothes, please just give me a place to stay and study.” This is so reflective of the moment of surrender we have with the Lord when we give our life to him. This is the starting point. With open arms we tell the Lord that we will do anything for Him and we start to name the tasks we think are expected of us. We say “Lord I will do anything for you. I will go to church on Sundays. I will volunteer in my community. I will stop using bad language and drinking alcohol.” Those convictions are valid and show surrender, but as we see in the Bible, humanity rarely predicts what the Lord will ask of us.
We can see the starting point in the life of David. While David was tending to the sheep, God was preparing him for the call on his life. David was a faithful and hardworking shepherd, but God had even bigger plans for him. In 1 Samuel 16:12-13 we see that “Jesse sent for David. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.” David had open hands for the Lord’s anointing. He was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David could have rejected his calling by saying “I am just a shepherd, I am not qualified.” But instead He trusted the Lord to receive his calling.
Brian challenged Roshan when he showed up to be considered for housing and schooling with the Agape Mission. Brian reiterated that this wasn’t just a free place to study and stay, this was a mission as well. He handed Roshan tracks and told him to hand them out at colleges he was interested in attending. Roshan was shocked that this was the task Brian wanted him to accomplish in order to stay. He was curious why Brian didn’t just ask him to do chores around the house. Meanwhile, Brian was certain that the boy would never return or if he did it would be four days later due to the amount of tracks that was required to hand out. However, just four hours later Roshan returned to the house after handing out every single track to several colleges in the city. Brian was inspired by his passion and Roshan became a part of the Agape family and started school the next morning.
Another key element to establishing a firm foundation is mentorship. Roshan found strong mentorship with Brian and when Brian challenged Roshan, he knew it was out of love and from a heart that is also surrendered to Christ. Brian sought out Roshan, to challenge and love him. Brian saw the holes and blind spots that Roshan couldn’t see. Part of God’s commandments are to honor, submit to, and obey our leaders. It is a challenge, but when the right mentor is put in our lives who has our best intentions and stands firm in the truth of the Lord, the foundation becomes even stronger. When we honor and obey the godly leaders in our lives, it honors the Lord.
Even as a new christian, Roshan exemplified the hunger and excellence christians should approach the work we are assigned to do. In Colossians 3:23 Paul writes “Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others”. Not only is our starting point a surrender of our plans and will to the Lord, it is to be done with a grateful heart of excellence. The Lord loves to see a total commitment to whatever He has called us to. Even something seemingly insignificant, we are supposed to do with excellence.
The Turning Point
Roshan was committed to serving the Lord and the Agape ministry when Brian saw room for more growth. He approached Roshan with the task of translating. Roshan was at a loss for words, thinking that Brian was out of his mind for such an intimidating and large ask. This is a turning point in Roshan’s story. He could have easily told Brian and the Lord that he was already doing enough for the them and with the right attitude. He would have been valid in his defense, but he would have blocked himself from stepping completely into his full calling. There are so many times in the Bible and in our lives where we are the ones who interfere with the calling that the Lord puts on our life because we limit what we think the Lord can do. And there are plenty of times where ordinary people did extraordinary things because they accepted the call from the Lord.
After David had received his initial call from God, God pushed him a bit further when He called him to defeat Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:45-47 says “David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” David recognized that he could not defeat Goliath in his own strength, but solely by relying on the Lord.
Turning points effect the direction of our life. We say “I am ready to do anything” but God knows our hearts much better than we do and we find out in moments like that maybe we aren’t prepared to do that one thing, whatever it may be. God sometimes shows us we don’t really want it. When God calls us to that one thing, the question isn’t “How do I do it?” Instead take the part you understand and accomplish it. The parts you don’t understand, you can accomplish with the help of the Holy Spirit. Fully relying on the Lord to fill in the gaps even you yourself don’t have the answers to brings about a turning point in your life. It surpasses the initial surrender and crosses into complete dependence when we are called to fight our Goliaths. Goliath wasn’t a roadblock in David’s destiny, He was David’s destiny because from that point forward David became a giant-slayer.
So much of being prepared for your turning point comes from what you do in your secret place of your heart that nobody sees but God. That’s who you truly are. God asks for all of our heart. When God presses us, He goes right into our heart and starts to draw what is deep down and brings it to the surface. It’s normally through unpleasant circumstances. Sometimes God brings certain people into our lives to refine us. We may think “I don’t want this person in my life. I would never choose to hang out with this person.” God put that person in your life to kill your old nature, to humble you and make you like Christ. David was in the field, the youngest of eight brothers, completely ignored, treated as if he wasn’t part of the family. What was he doing? He was pouring out his heart to God in his secret place. That’s where God was building his character-where nobody else saw, but God alone. When the Lord introduces us to our turning points, what is really going on in our heads? What does it bring up in our hearts? Sometimes it shows us how childish we can be. Our heart’s response to hardship has a greater impact on who we become than the hardship itself. The turning point of our faith takes us from hopeful believers to devout followers.
The Landing Point
Roshan’s testimony is a perfect example of the continuing sanctification the Lord offers to each and everyone of us. Because of Roshan’s obedience he is now an English teacher and renowned translator working with people from all over the world. Roshan has reached a landing point, where he is in line with the Lord’s discernment and has settled into his calling. Reaching your landing point doesn’t mean there won’t be tests and trials, but there is a consistency in your relationship with the Lord.
David reached a landing point when he had the opportunity to kill Saul and decided not to (1 Samuel 24:4-7). Everyone he trusted told him killing Saul was a good idea. Saul had been a thorn in David’s side for a long time. He did not want David to become King and the tormenting spirit inside him plotted against David. When Saul unknowingly stumbled upon David and his men, David easily could have given in and killed him. Instead he relied on the Lord who told him to spare Saul. As a result, even Saul had to admit that David was anointed and was meant to be King (1 Samuel 24:19-20). David did go on to become King and lead a nation. David still messed up plenty. Being in constant connection with the Lord did not mean David never made a mistake. But the Lord was and is gracious and faithful to use our mistakes for His glory when we are willing and obedient to Him.
There are three ingredients to complete transformation: grace, truth and time. We love the Lord’s grace and truth but we get frustrated that He isn’t in a hurry. Sanctification isn’t an overnight process and we have a duty to fulfill at all times, even in the waiting and pressing. What are our responsibilities when we have reached our landing point?
- Help others reach their landing point.
-We can minister to people who haven’t been able to conquer their Goliaths. Our testimonies can be an encouragement to them as they fight their battles reminding them that the Lord is victorious.
- Maintain a connection and reliance on the Lord.
-We are never off limits to the traps of the enemy, even when we fully rely on the Lord. Every day, every moment, the Lord is working in our lives and has something to say to us. Like an IV in our veins, the communication between us and the Lord should be seamless, a constant flow.
- Never reach a permanent landing point
-We are growing and continuing the sanctification process until the day we die. So there will be multiple cycles, hills and valleys, battles and rests in our lives.
In conclusion, Roshan’s testimony and David’s story give us great points on how to step completely into our calling. When we think we have reached the capacity of what God can do with our lives, He will introduce another giant to conquer, another mountain to climb or even another language to learn. The Lord loves to see us walk freely and boldly into the incredible calling He has on each and every one of our lives. Say yes to His ask, even if you aren’t positive what that completely entails yet. Once you are met with your giant, buckle down and continue to let the Lord fight your battles while seeking complete dependence and intimacy with Him. When you get a glimpse of the big picture, the “A-HA” moment, give others a hand to help them up the mountain. Soon that mountain will again be your valley and the mentors and leaders in your life will extend their hands to help you. On the days where life seems repetitive or you feel stuck, remember that our God takes His time to refine you and mold you into the very best version, the version He created you to be.
