Matthew 6: 33

Jeremiah 29: 11; Psalm 37: 4

Are you where you thought you would be five years ago??? Let me re-phrase that! We're all on a journey through life. Some of us have the end in sight and some of us don't. But ask yourself this, have you always wanted to be who and where you are now?

When I was younger I always wanted to be a footballer. I would practice every day after school and would even get up extra early at the weekends (I wouldn't dream of doing that now!). I would play in matches at primary school and many times I was asked to captain the team. And whenever winter came and there were no organised games, I'd take my ball, go out into the garden and practice keeping it up in the air using different parts of my body - my feet, my head, my knees, my chest.

But as I got older and all the other lads around stopped playing, I thought to myself "Well, maybe there's more to life than football", so I began a new hobby. Every Christmas my high school would do a special production, usually a musical involving dancing, singing and acting. Acting became my love. I so enjoyed being on the stage and clowning around, making people laugh (or cry!) and taking them on the adventure I was portraying through my character. But it didn't last.

After high school I went to college. I knew that whatever subjects I chose would help to define my future. I became really interested in Media Studies and loved both the practical and theoretical sides to it. But it was never going to be my studies that won me over. A close friend of mine was the music teacher at the college and he asked if I would sing in a concert he was putting on. That was it. I accepted and never looked back. I joined a band in 2000 and began singing in church regularly, loving every minute of it. But I wasn't and am still not completely at ease. I know I have some kind of 'calling' in life but I'm not sure what it is. Then I found this.

When we give our lives to Jesus we are.

Called from labor to rest (Matt. 11:28)

Called from death to life (1 John 3:14)

Called from bondage to liberty (Gal 5:13)

Called out of darkness into light (1 Pet. 2:9)

Called from bondage to peace (1 Cor. 7:15)

Called to the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor. 1:9)

What need have I to desire anything else! Jesus has set you and me free and when we obey His call we are:

We are made children of God (John 1:12)
We are made the sons of God (Gal. 3:26)
We are made the servants of God (Matt. 25:21)
We are made God's saints (Phil. 1:1)
We are made God's witnesses (I Thess. 2:10)
We are made workers together with God (2 Cor. 6:1)
We are called to a high calling (Phil. 3:14)
We are called to a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9)
We are called to a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1)

Since I found all this, one Bible verse has been stuck in my head.

Psalm 37: 4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"

When you give your whole self to Jesus, there is no need to chase after your worldly dreams because He will give greater things than you could ever have dreamed of. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.