No Title Needed.

Just as a friendly reminder;

You don’t have to wait for a title from man to be useful in the kingdom of God.

Did you know that you have a purpose and calling specific to YOU? No one else can accomplish the exact thing God put you on this earth to do.

God placed a title on each of us long before we ever achieved anything impressive or had any useful skills or marketable talents.

Before we were qualified, our worth was justified.

He calls us sons and daughters.

Royalty.
Chosen.
Wanted.

His.

Before you had any education or experience… He chose you. He called you to great things. He placed a world of purpose in you.

Those great things began in you as soon as you said “yes” to Jesus, and some of us can look back and see that He was using us even before that. Those gifts he placed in you don’t sit idle awaiting you to say “yes” to a title or position or waiting for someone in “authority” to call them out in you.

So, why do we wait to use them? 

YOU are responsible for what YOU do with the gifts and dreams God has given to you.

HE is the one who calls you.

Really, while we may desire further direction and instruction, it isn’t necessary. 

A calling from God carries enough weight, don’t you think?

Operate in that calling as an act of worship to the Lord;
not out of position and pressure, the desire for approval, the desire for power and influence, or your responsibility to man.

HE called you first.
Take ownership of that.
Lead right where you are, with what you have.
Love who you have right in front of you whether they are in your life group, or in diapers. 

If you feel like God has given you a story to share, start sharing it. It doesn’t need to be from a pulpit… it can be shared from a coffee shop, an Instagram account, or a living room couch. Just start sharing it.

If you have a heart and desire for community, create it.

You don’t need to be deemed worthy of leading others to simply start inviting them to your home to fellowship, to practice hospitality, or to steward your friendships well.

Authority doesn’t come from man, it comes from the Lord.

Pastors and leaders aren’t the only ones called to share the gospel. We ALL are.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 makes this abundantly clear to us; “Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

I love that the passion translation specifically says “in my authority”. 

What an incredible reminder of our authority in Christ. The authority given to us to spread the truth of salvation to the world by showing His love.

Our lives and the word of our testimony should be the most powerful examples of God’s love.

If you are breathing and call Jesus your Savior, you are in ministry.

If you lead a family, a team, a home, or a classroom, you are in leadership.

Calling is on our minds a lot as Christians. We want so desperately to live a life of purpose according to our calling and use our gifts to glorify God – and we want it to be this huge and exciting, impressive thing –  but no matter if you are called to be a spouse, a parent, a CEO, a worship leader, an author, an actor, a pastor, a missionary, a janitor, a nurse, or an engineer… no matter the level of status and fame or anonymity that your calling could take you to – it all looks the same to God.

It looks like obedience.

I believe we are truly missing the point of our callings if we keep them contained to the interior walls of our churches.

Thinking God can only use you within the church is like developing a cure for cancer but only telling healthy people about it.

Unless you spend 24/7 of your life inside a church or alongside church people; I am willing to bet God has more for you… more people He wants to hear your story, more people that could see Jesus through you.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a lover and believer of the power of the local church. God can do amazing things in and through our churches, and I believe in the benefits and strength of getting connected and doing life together – BUT –connection with other believers isn’t the highest call. Neither is working ourselves past the point of exhaustion in the name of Christ… especially when it causes other areas of our life and our example to suffer.

The truth? God can use you in every season, right where you are, with exactly as much (or as little) as you have.

& He will, if you just let Him lead you.

Maybe you’re in a season where you are working to pay off debt, or to support your family financially by working towards a new career, maybe you have a new baby, and maybe you don’t have time to volunteer hours and hours on end to your local church, and guess what? Unless you feel God telling you to make a change, then that’s just fine. 

God wants your heart, not an contracted amount of hours per week. The highest call of serving Christ isn’t wearing your “busy-ness” as a badge of honor; the highest call is surrender to Him.

God can use you just as powerfully in your cubicle and in the coffee shop you stop in during your morning commute as He can on a Sunday morning serve team or in leading a bible study.

God can lead through you whether you’ve ever been recognized as a leader, or if you’ve been passed up and overlooked a hundred times for leadership positions and are feeling hurt and confused by leaders disagreeing over what you thought was God stirring your heart.

Ask God what He is revealing to you today about your calling and what He has called you to be obedient to.

Maybe it’s obvious for those of you in vocational ministry… but you know what else is obvious and worthy ministry in God’s eyes?

Being a spouse, a mother, an amazing friend…

Doing your best in your job…

Being honorable, loyal, trustworthy, and true to your word. Being faithful in the small things, living a life above reproach. 

Maybe He’s simply calling you to speak up in this season.

Walking in your calling doesn’t need a label, title, position, certificate, trophy, or #1 bestseller plaque on the wall.

A title means very little to a God who looks at our hearts and not our resumes. 

We have such an obsession with status and our culture only seems to further reward and recognize popularity, status, and title – but our God doesn’t work that way.

You don’t need a platform to be used by God, all you need is to be faithful with what he has given you.

You wanna be an influencer? Influence those around you to see themselves the way God sees them.

Love those around you, fiercely.

Before we are ever called to greatness, we are called to obedience and faithfulness.

Whether the eyes on you are many or few, it’s our responsibility to just point them to Jesus.

Even if your life is ordinary in the eyes of the world – or even the church – it’s extraordinary in the eyes of your creator.

Jesus himself told us to go and make disciples of all nations – there is no need to wait for another nudge from someone else in leadership. No title or position will better qualify you to follow Christ than the call of Christ himself.

Also, It is awesome to have mentors, to have trusted pastors and leaders and to find inspiration and motivation from the books and podcasts of those who have gone before you and done the work; but know that there is absolutely no replacement for being in the word of God yourself. 

That’s the only real manual and training we need as believers – no matter the calling.

One thing is for certain, God has a unique and mighty plan to use your life and your testimony for His glory. No matter who you are.

No title needed.

---

PS… 7 Verses on Calling and Gifts

As I was writing the post above, I stumbled upon a bunch of scriptures that spoke to the topic of calling and things that we should be known for as believers and was really blessed by them myself, so I wanted to share. I am not a bible scholar by any means, but though I may not have that title, I know that God can still speak to me through His word. And He can speak to you too. The word of God is living and active, and I hope you find some fresh life in these verses today too, even if they are jumbled and maybe not even listed in chronological order. 😉

“Brothers and sisters, consider who you were when God called you to salvation. Not many of you were wise scholars by human standards, nor were many of you in positions of power. Not many of you were considered the elite when you answered God’s call. But God chose those whom the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise, and God chose the puny and powerless to shame the high and mighty.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:26-27‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“And don’t be intimidated by those who are older than you; simply be the example they need to see by being faithful and true in all that you do. Speak the truth and live a life of purity and authentic love as you remain strong in your faith.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“Give careful attention to your spiritual life and every cherished truth you teach, for living what you preach will then release even more abundant life inside you and to all those who listen to you.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“And when God chooses someone and graciously imparts gifts to him, they are never rescinded.” – Romans‬ ‭11:29‬ ‭TPT‬‬ The Message version I also love says: “God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.”

“So these are his commands: that we continually place our trust in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and that we keep loving one another, just as he has commanded us. For all who obey his commands find their lives joined in union with him, and he lives and flourishes in them. We know and have proof that he constantly lives and flourishes in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭TPT‬‬