CALLED

Written by A. White

 

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God... -1 Corinthians 1:1 (NKJV)

Within our human hearts, there's a natural longing to belong to a cause that's greater than us. For those who never encounter God through Jesus Christ, this internal itch is destined to go unscratched. But those who know Christ discover they play a part in a story with an eternal scope.

 

Paul taps into this truth as he begins his first letter to the Church of Corinth . He starts out by identifying himself as "Paul, called to be an apostle." This reveals that God had an important purpose and plan for Paul's life. God didn't just save Paul for the purpose of letting him sit around on some spiritual shelf. Instead, He desired to involve Paul in a plan that would prove to satisfy his built-in desire for purpose, direction, and meaning.

 

But we need to understand that this wasn't just something special or unique between God and Paul. The Bible tells us that all Christians have a divine commission and calling that has been placed upon their lives (Ephesians 4:1).

In this regard, the Christian's identity is completely different from those around them. They enjoy a sense of purpose because they've chosen to play a part in God's master plan. Unfortunately, we tend to forget this fact from time to time, and consequently we tend to relate more to the world's emptiness than the fulfillment that God desires for us.

 

Because we've been called by Christ to play a part in His grand design, our lives are filled with purpose, direction, and meaning.

FulfillMentor

by Ade Walker

 

 

Part 3

We've talked about awareness of self and how it is a vital component of growth towards fulfillment.  Now, as you are being aware, by paying attention to the present moment, I challenge you augment that skill with accepting advise and instructions from yourself, friends, family, etc., so that you have clear indication of where you are going.  Also, maintain a wonder, curiosity, and openness to feedback and critiques.  When you have connected attention to acceptance of the current situation, openness to change and a curious hope towards a positive outcome, you have developed what is known as mindfulness.  We cannot expect to have fulfillment, unless we are mind-full, able to self-regulate present situations to prepare for future success.  Once we have a faithful outlook on the future, we put ourselves in a destiny that does not exist and we get pulled toward our outcomes.  

 

As a Christian, one becomes mindful by filling their mind with spiritual ideals.  Philippians 4:8 (NLT) states: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  The Apostle Paul is exclaiming that once we have faith in God spiritually, we mentally are filled with character that fosters our growth and makes us socially adept.  By replacing what is currently in our mind with what is on God's mind, He promises to lead us to fulfillment, by dispelling every limitation in our mind and giving us the image of God instead.  Alex Osborne said, "The potential power of creative imagination is all but limitless."  Faith creates fulfillment by placing the image in us of where we want to be.  Many times we have difficulty reaching where we want to be because our mind is on comparing and competing with others, instead of being happy with ourselves.  Dr. Mark Chironna says, "A key is made in an image, it is not made in the image of another key, but rather in the image of the lock."  We live in a world of duplicates; we perceive that others are fulfilled, so we attempt to be like them.  However, a key is connected to the lock of the door, not to other keys.  In fact, the right key to the right door is so essential that unless the key is correct, the door will not open.  What do you feel is the key to your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual fulfillment?  What doors have been closed to you because you did not have, or misplaced, the proper key?  Whatever the answers to these questions are, one thing is clear; a person can show you keys, but they cannot open the door unless the key and lock (ability to personally apply information to overcome obstacles to fulfillment) are congruent.

 

Congruence is a powerful key to fulfillment because it takes your mindfulness (awareness and acceptance) and matches it with a mission.  Congruence is the state achieved by coming together, the state of agreement.  According to Wikipedia, in psychology, “congruence could be defined as rapport within oneself, or internal and external consistency, perceived by others as sincerity or certainty.”  At a deeper level, personal congruency exists when your true desires (intention), thoughts (attention), feelings, and actions are aligned with your core values.  Only then can you move toward balance in your life and experience more joy, fulfillment, and peace. Congruence is about honoring the deeper truth within you. 

 

Take this quick Congruence Quiz to see how far away you are from fulfillment:

1.      Do you find your heart and mind pulled in different directions?

I want to be a chef, but I was told being a doctor makes the money.

2.      Do your actions sometimes disagree with your thoughts?

I know I should focus on bettering myself, but I need to give her a piece of my mind.

3.      Do you suffer any of the physiological effects of incongruence; i.e., stress, inner turmoil and disease?

Could all the pressure put on me by my parents be a reason my backaches and I am stressed?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then we are just beginning our journey to fulfillment, but all your dreams come true at the end of this destination!  Join me next time as we continue by showing how the mind brings you to fulfillment!

 

The FulfillMentor is Adé Walker, a published author, certified Life Coach and educator, and ordained minister.  His degrees include a B.A. in Philosophy/Religion and English, an M.A.R. in Pastoral Counseling, and an M. Div. in Religion.  He is working towards his Ph.D currently, while he and his wife, April are the ministry leaders of the Streams of Restoration Ministries.  They are dedicated to leading people into spiritually and socially relevant change in the areas of “Christ-likeness”, coaching, counseling, and crisis/career development.