DNA Calling!!!

I think I grew up in a culture of the Church that said, “You’re not…” much more than “You are…” Perhaps that’s why I’ve struggled with insecurity about my identity in Christ’s body for so much of my life. You see, I know who I am to Jesus, but who am I to people in His Church? Whenever I step into a new church group, I usually put out feelers to see what peghole they put me in and conform to it.

But I’m tired of surviving, tired of fearing what people think, tired of cringing every time I try stepping out of the little box the enemy puts me in. I’m going to let other people off the hook and admit it’s me—it’s me listening to the lies of the enemy. He’s the one whispering the accusations and shaming me into keeping to ‘my place’. Seriously?

Our place is in Christ! Seated in the heavenlies at Daddy’s right hand! Our place is in the center of His heart and saturated with the love of His Spirit! So what about those times when Godly correction is needed? During last week’s prophetic worship conference at Faith Center, Graham Cooke said it wonderfully: “Accountability isn’t calling people out on their stuff but calling them up into their true identity.”

So let’s apply this to calling. What if God’s callings on our lives aren’t positions to be attained to but Spirit-infused DNA—the same spiritual DNA that transformed us into new creations the moment of our rebirth? What if spiritual growth isn’t advancing through categories (like church worker, deacon, teacher, pastor, prophet, apostle) but maturing in our ability to express the calling God infused into our spiritual genes from the get-go: the Bride of Christ?

I think that if we, the Church, can see each other as ALREADY who we are meant to be and simply growing in our ability to operate in our Spirit-fused callings and giftings, we won’t be so hard on each other. In fact, I think we’ll say, “Yes, you are…. Let me help you” rather than saying, “Who do you think you are? You can’t do that. You haven’t earned the right to do such and such.”

Granted, increased responsibility comes with increased maturity. We aren’t going to put a baby or child in charge of a church. But a child will seek to act like his Father. A little girl will do her very best to copy Daddy. So let’s show incredible kindness and joy as we see each other stepping out in faith and desire, doing what Daddy has put in our hearts to do. After all, the Holy Spirit is within each of us, and He absolutely delights to do what the Father is doing and help us grow in the calling we were created to walk in.

So maybe a baby lion can’t protect the pride. He’s sure going to practice his roar…and one day, he’ll be big enough to do what he was born to do!

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we ALL come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children…” Ephesians 4:11-14