To follow the high calling means to follow Jesus, that is, to follow and recognize His leadership and supreme authority. To know Him, to know His teaching, that is, the truth of the word of God and, above all, to apply this truth to our lives, to be doers, not just listeners. Not just fans but followers. But how does that work?
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
Partnership with God
Certainly, a decision is a necessary step, but not enough for that purpose. The word of God answers this question аs well – by letting God’s Spirit direct us and not fulfilling the desires of our fleshly nature. „Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
How do we give the Holy Spirit a place and opportunity to guide and lead us? What is our responsibility in this equation? In general, our responsibility is limited to our desires, goals, choices, and decisions; and the communication with God. Walking with God is not an automatic process but a partnership.
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How to be led
Here are some important principles and steps from God’s Word that make us easier to be led by God:
1) Understanding and accepting the price of following the high calling. This means to “declare war” of the self-centered life expressed in the aspiration of man to take the place of God and be the god of his own life. Declaring war means to commit ourselves to God’s purpose and call to overcome the world and the worldly (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the vanity of life) and not resist when God leads us into situations and trials aiming to accelerate the death of self in these areas.
2) Desiring to be led in freedom and in all truth. “Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Let us wish and ask God to show us and release us from the bondage of every slavery, addiction, fear, shame, guilt, and so on.
3) Asking for and preparing to separate ourselves from thinking and mindsets that are contrary to God’s thoughts and views and which are counterproductive and destructive to us.
4) Learning to separate the precious from the mundane – that is, to prefer, to appreciate and to give precedence to the eternal and spiritual values before the material and the temporal ones. This process is expressed in the sacrifice of the lower (natural) life for the high calling. When we strive for the high eternal calling, we receive things of lasting value here and now in this life, and in eternity. If we strive for things only in this life, we will eventually lose them along with our eternal soul. “For whoever wants to save his life (his soul) will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save him.” (Luke 9:24)
Some more prerequisites
5) Learning to sacrifice the pleasure of things to acquire the pleasure and joy of life. Let us decide, choose and let God teach us how to use things and possessions and love people, and not use people and love things.
6) Learning to sacrifice and give up predictability, security, comfort, and control to gain the joy and fullness of the abundant and exciting life with God and in God. We must get used to and cultivate the thought that real life is connected with change, unpredictability, and discomfort.
7) Choosing to invest ourselves (time, thoughts, desires, goals, resources) in God’s eternal plans and irrevocable intentions and promises of restoration (of us, our relationships, mankind and all creation), especially in times of hardships and suffering.
8) And the most important – choosing LIFE every day. Let us give up the false comfort and consolation of passivity and slumber in all its forms. Let’s say YES to life because God is life!
Let us aspire to wake up and live an awakened and real life in the light, born and led by the good Spirit of God in the land of righteousness and love!
Your turn
Is it difficult for you to do life with God and be led by Him? What is the greatest obstacle in your walking with God? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
Hadassah