Are You Calling Me, Lord?

I was reading about the need for assistants in Chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles.  There were complaints (against the Apostles) that the widows of the Greek speaking Jews were being neglected.

In response to this complaint, the Apostles readily identified “seven reputable men” who would take care of this problem.  But here’s what stood out for me . . .

“The twelve” were very clear that it was not right for them to “neglect the word of God to serve at table.”  In other words, they knew what they were responsible for and didn’t try to do everything themselves.  The distribution of labor, if you will, quickly became a necessity in the early church.

That is true for us today.

I talk a lot about evangelization, sharing your faith and speaking the name of Jesus in this increasingly non-Christian world.  However, each one of us is called according to his vocation and not one of us has to do it all.

Some of us are called to be pray-ers.  Some preachers, writers and worker bees.  Others are called to a variety of ways to spread God’s Word.  The key, however, is that each of us takes up his/her responsibility with enthusiasm and a passionate desire to draw others to Christ.

Now, if the church were only filled with preachers and pray-ers, that would not be enough to get the “job” done.  As in the apostles forming that first community, we, too, need others to take up the mission according to their God-given talents.  When we deny this and reject our call, everyone suffers.

We are told in scripture that Stephen, who was chosen to meet the needs of the Greek widows, was “a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” as well as “grace and power”, and he was “working great wonders and signs among the people.”

In fact, we are told, “the word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.”

Imagine you are Stephen, being called today.  You are being asked to fill one particular need in your church.  Are you ready and willing to be “obedient to the faith,” or will you stand by as the needs of your brothers and sisters remain unmet?

Will you continue to be silent and allow loud, misguided voices to be heard, or are you ready, by the grace and power of God, to say Yes! to your vocation and help continue spreading the Word of God?

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com