Skip to main content

Called and Kept

                 When reading scripture, it is tempting to overlook the introduction to the various letters so that one gets to the body of the letter more quickly.  Much of the time, though, that is a mistake as the introduction often contains interesting words or phrases that set the tone for the rest of the letter.

                One such case is the introduction to the tiny letter of Jude.  It says, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance” (verses 1-2).  While we could focus on several words here, I want us to think about two in particular; Called and Kept.

                Called means that God is offering us an invitation.  We are being called into the new life and new hope that he has for us.  Called means that we are valuable to God, that he loves us and has a plan for us.  We are called for a purpose.  We are here to do something.  God wants to work in us and through us to do good and show his love wherever we go.  When I remember that I am called, then I live differently.  Faith is not about being saved and then waiting for Jesus to return.  Rather, we are here to be useful to God.  You may remember that in Jesus’ parable of the talents, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” was said to those who did something useful with what was entrusted to them (Matthew 25:14-30).

                Once we understand that we are called, then the work “kept” becomes much more important.  Kept means that God watches over us and provides what we need.  Kept reminds us that we are not in charge.  Rather, we are being guided and have God’s help to do whatever needs to be done.  When we remember that we are kept by God, then we do his work in a better way.  We pray and trust more.  We worry less.  That we are “Kept in Christ” also reminds us that this world is not to be our main focus and that our eternal home is coming.

                Do not skip the words called and kept.  Those two small words say a lot.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgetting What Is Behind

                   Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.                  Here is my generalization:   It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.   The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Too often, we trip over things that are behind us.   We remember and nurse old hurts.   We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls.   In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now.   In these cases, we would be better off “forgett
Post a Comment
Read more