Called to Grow - The Crosswalk Devotional - December 12

Called to Grow
By Meg Bucher

“We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” - Hebrews 6:11-12 NLT

Growing pains hurt. Physically, we don’t all grow at the same time or rate. I remember looking up at all of my peers as, one by one, they all started to sprout up before I did. Emotional growing pains are inevitable throughout the entirety of our lives, but the most pragmatic during our teen years and early adulthood. The definition of growing pains also includes: “difficulties attending any new project or any raid development of an existing project.” The global pandemic caused growing pains as we scrambled to figure out how to carry on with life when so much of it came to a violent halt. Amidst all of the growing and changing, our everyday lives reveal what God has called us to do.

God put each of us here on purpose, with purpose. “We don’t choose our callings; by definition, we’re called to them,” Ivan Mesa explains in an article he wrote titled, “3 Things Your Calling is Not,” for TGC, “Repeat: God calls us; we don’t call ourselves.” The author of Hebrews wrote:

“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” Hebrews 6:13-14 NLT

Abraham’s calling didn’t make sense to him at first, but through the growing pains of life, he obeyed God. Finding our calling in life requires us to listen, obey, and seek the Author of the master plan. He is faithful to guide us, not hiding in the shadows.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

“For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” - Romans 11:29 NLT

God created each of us to bring glory to Him through the unique purpose He has planned for our individual lives. Although wealth and success can be blessings we enjoy from the Lord as we work hard at what He has given us to do, a lack of prosperity by the world’s standards by no means signals failure to follow God in our calling. When we find ourselves getting caught up in the expectations of the world, it’s so important to remember the call on our lives wasn’t meant for us.

We can’t lose God’s call on our lives. Each day, as we seek the Lord and obediently do the next right thing, we move closer to what He has for us. Even when we know early on what we are meant to do, the work of walking in the will of God continues until the day we arrive home to Him. The VOICE paraphrase of Romans 11:29 reads:

“You see, when God gives a grace gift and issues a call to a people, He does not change His mind and take it back.”

A Prayer for Growing Pains

Father,
Today I pray for all ages and stages of people who are experiencing growing pains. Will you bring comfort, peace, and direction to their lives like no one else can? Replace the goals of the world with Your plan for their lives. Help them to know which choice to make next and what step to take which will lead them on the path of Your will for their lives.

Help us to put our faith in You, God, every day. When we’re tempted to count the days ahead, remind us -only You know how many we have to live. You know Your purpose for us. Help us to rest in You, God.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Further Reading

Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.