Call me crazy.

I was reading my bible the other day, (like a good little Bible-college student does of course ;), and I came across a verse that rocked my world a bit. In fact, it rocked it so much I had to write it on my arm so I could remember it for the rest of the day. The verse was Isaiah 43:1
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

You are mine. What an incredible thing to be called. The King and Creator of the Universe calls us His. He has called each of us by name. He chooses us, us! to proclaim His glory. I was awestruck by the fact that in all the bazillions of people both in the past, present and future, God calls each of us by name and says that we are His. What a thing to identify yourself with. I know in my life I search to find my identity in so many different things. My friends, my family, my hobbies, the things I’m good at, however I never really place my identity in Christ, the one who calls me HIS. Why is it that for God it is so easy for him to say, “You are mine,” while us saying that Christ is ours is a totally different story? Why do we not place our identity in him? Are we afraid of what other people will think? Do we like the identity we’ve made for ourselves? Or are we afraid of knowing that an awesome, powerful and mighty God is able to change our world’s radically around if we allow him to be our identity?

Another part in Isaiah 43 that rocked my world was verse 6-7. “Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
We are called to bring God’s sons and daughters out of their chains. We are called to gather them and bring them back to the one who Redeems and Saves. We are called to bring the captives of this world in front of the God who calls them His and created them for HIS glory. HIS glory. Not ours. We are called to bring back a lost and dying generation to the founder of all safety. The one who calls us by His name and calls us His. That is our call, that is what we are here for.

Reading that blew my mind. My job here on earth is not to get a good college education, get a fancy job, make lots of money, marry a devilishly handsome man and have 5 children and a fast car and a fancy house with a picket fence and blue shutters. Those are nice things, and God can choose to bless me with them one day, but my first calling is to bring back the captives, the lost, the searching, and lead them to the Holy King who calls them by name, who created them for His glory. That is our purpose in life. That is what we are here for.

It’s a crazy mission….but I guess I’m crazy.