About two weeks ago, Mark Batterson (Lead Pastor of NCC in Washington, D.C.) posted a blog about spiritual discernment in the arena of “calling”. His words have sparked some much needed patience and introspection.
Throughout my life, I have imagined the pursuit of God’s call as a sprint… much like the well-known quote from Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr…
Every calling is great when greatly pursued.
I tend to chase after a new call as soon as I feel the Lord’s initial movement. Batterson points out that, “Feeling called to and released from don’t always happen simultaneously.”
Rushing to pursue the “next great call” is not only unwise… but unhealthy. When we are listening hard for the call of God in our lives… there is very little surface value in patience… steadiness… waiting for release. There is nothing wrong with “greatly pursuing” the calling that we have received from the Lord… but this pursuit should come once the Lord has released us from where we are. This is the greater pursuit of “patient endurance” when it comes to following the Lord’s calling…
May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT)
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.:rweaver:.
Is that quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., the Supreme Court Justice, or his father, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., the poet?
The quote is from Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. taken from one of his speeches in 1885 (post above is now linked with the documentation to the Encyclopedia Britannica reference). Consequently, this speech was delivered prior to his 30-year service as a Supreme Court Justice (he was appointed in 1902 and was 90 when he stepped down). Thanks for the forum for clarification Mr. Holloway…