“For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” — Romans 11:29
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I have spent decades standing in a small coaching box courtside and watched countless high school basketball games unfold before me. I love the sounds of the game — the squeak of the shoes, the sound of the ball hitting the rim, the fans in the bleachers.
But there is one sound that cuts above all others in a contest. It’s the sound of the call. When a referee blows the whistle, everything stops because a decision has been made. It may be a turnover and change of possession. It may be a travel, an illegal screen or a player foul. Multiple times in every basketball game, the referee team will blow the whistle and make a call.
Never in all my years of coaching has an official asked me what I thought of the call, although I must admit that too many times I have felt the need to offer my opinion anyway.
But here’s the thing: Regardless of my opinion, the call didn’t change. When the whistle blew, all that was required of the players in the contest was obedience to the call — line up on the free-throw line, hand the ball over, whatever it may be. Obey the call or leave the game.
As Christians, Jesus has already made the call in our lives abundantly clear: to go and make disciples. Jesus told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, NLT).
Jesus has given you unique gifts and skillsets to fulfill your specific calling that He predestined before you were born. He created you exactly how He wanted you, in order to fulfill the exact roles He has in His master game plan for you. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that even before you were formed, God chose you. He determined ahead of time your role on His team. He gave you your specific gifts in order to minister to others around you.
Romans 11:29 says, “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” “Irrevocable” implies that God will not alter His mind about what He has asked you to perform. God has given you a specific calling, and regardless of your opinion or even your obedience, that calling remains steadfast!
The call has been made and it will not change. It’s time to be obedient to the call and get in the game. Jesus can (and wants to) do more than we can ask, imagine or think when we heed His call.
— Melissa Motes
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