Our Foremost Calling

You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

John Bunyan

Most of us missionaries can clearly recall the exact time when we first decided to go to the field and the circumstances surrounding that decision. The calling to the ministry or mission field is usually strong and clear (for mine, see Called to Kochi, Japan Harvest, Fall 2001, p. 10). But there is another calling that is far more important—the calling to be holy.

God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him (Eph 1:4). Speaking of the marriage relationship, Paul says “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her (make her holy)” (Eph 5:25–26a, NASB). In his first letter, Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44, where God tells us “you shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16). In the next chapter, Peter says “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9).

Yes, the Lord wants us to respond to the serious needs around us. But Jesus did not bring us to Himself simply so that He might have more help fulfilling His purposes. He brought us into His family to have a relationship with Him. He chose us because He wanted us to spend time with Him.

An important aspect of being holy is spending time in the presence of our holy God! He longs for us to spend time with Him more than He desires us to do anything for Him.

Consider the following thoughts and Scriptures that encourage us to make time with the Lord our foremost calling:

• Before sin entered our world, Adam and Eve enjoyed walking together with God in the garden (Gen 3:8)
• Moses didn’t want to do anything without God’s presence (Ex 33:15).
• David’s one desire was to be in His presence (Ps 27:4).
• Hezekiah sought his God first; only then did he work wholeheartedly (2 Chron 31:21).
• Before calling his disciples to preach, Jesus called them to be with Him (Mark 3:14).
• The commandment to love God comes before the command to love our neighbors (Matt 22:37-39). It is still the first commandment.
• Despite Martha’s remonstrations, Jesus did not rebuke Mary for sitting at His feet. Instead, Jesus told Martha that she was the one who was distracted (Luke 10:38-42).
• The religious leaders saw that the disciples’ boldness and power came not from their education or occupation but from the fact that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
• It was while the leaders in Antioch were ministering in the Lord’s presence and fasting that God spoke to them about what His mission plan was (Acts 13:1-3).
• In Hebrews, we are told to stimulate one another to love (for both God and our neighbor) and good deeds (Heb 10:24).
• The major activity of the elders in Revelation is worshiping God in His presence (Rev 4:9-10, 5:8-14, 11:16, 19:4).

It’s easy to think that our foremost calling is to do things for Him. But that is not true. Ministering to others must come second to spending time with Him, our most important calling. The amazing thing is that, as we spend time with Him, we not only bless Him, but we also minister to others more effectively. Effective ministry always flows as a response to our foremost calling.