Romans 11:29 (KJV 1900) — 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

The question many people have is what do I have to offer? We think we need to have developed to some grand place of spiritual power and knowledge before we actually have something to give to others of value. Yet we have the Holy Spirit and Jesus present with us all the time. We actually are never in lack of resources to draw from.

All of us are called to be conformed to the image of the son. This calling is a reflection of Christ living in and through us. We have a mission to the world to display this wonderment of Christ in us the hope of glory. We have been graced for this display and empowered to show forth His glory working in our lives. This is the highest calling and most important. Now for some they will be given assignments and task that seem small and insignificant, but God uses them to form us and see how we steward opportunities given. For others they will be given specific functions in the body that come with a lot of responsibility. To whom much is given much is required.

So, we all are carrying calling. Many are called but few chosen. The choosing is the hand picking of God for a specific task. We have confused calling and chosen. We all have been invited to produce what has been given for us to carry. But many believe unless they have been recognized, titled and positioned they are not able to produce. The fruitfulness of what you carry is seen by those you influence in thinking and actions. How you release your passions and how they affect things others value.

What you’re also carrying is your giftings. Gifting is natural and spiritual. They are deposits of potential or enablement to do something supernaturally by Gods empowerment. Gifts come not for us, but again to serve the body of Christ. They come to empower us for acts of service and not for us to feel good about ourselves. That will come because we see lives changed and know we had a part to play in it.

Giftings are always given to help fulfill the ultimate call with your life. Giftings will actually point to your call and will give you a hint of what your calling might really look like. If you know your calling likewise you can then see what giftings it may require as well.

Both calling and gifting activated is what opens opportunities for you to be asked to do certain ministry assignments or roles. Your ministry is how you serve others in your calling and gifting. Calling and gifting both require obedience. Your obedience is what creates the ministry you will have. Ministry is the expression of both calling and gifting. It becomes the fruit of what both combined will produce.

 Ministry is when you have been chosen. It is the divine enablement of God. Many may be called to do ministry yet never seem to get there. The reason is the gifts and calling are without repentance. What does that mean? God has determined a set way to be chosen. It is by activation of what we carry, specifically calling and gifting. Repentance means not so much sorrow but a change of mind, metanoia. God is not changing his mind how he has determines a set order of roles and responsibilities. But we need to determine to change our mind! You see repentance, changing of the mind is directly connected to calling and gifting. We have to decide to reflect and serve. We have to decide to activate and do. We have decided to be obedient. Because we know what we’re carrying.  

When you know what you’re carrying you are no longer striving. You relax into what is inside of you and operate from it. You work your faith towards perfecting it. And like Peter you can come to rest, even in a prison cell, know that the circumstance is not the end, because what I’m carrying will get me out of the situation.

When I was in the hospital in Sept of 2018 it did not look good. I was losing weight. My entire colon was infected. It looked like I was dying, and I probably was. Thousands of people were praying but I kept getting worse. God then spoke clearly to me and said, “Stop having them pray for you but pray for the message inside you that your carry will live. Your temporal but the message is eternal.” I told people to pray for the message inside me to live knowing I would have to live because I was carrying it. 3 days later I left the hospital. A valuable lesson indeed. But that’s also the power residing inside of us that we are carrying.