Skeptics (blown) Away! - Round 2

Round 2

Skeptic: You just imagined it!

Trent: That’s strange, I imagined being called to a life that (at the time) I despised, twice.

(Editor's Note: One more in the series - coming next week! Read Round 1.)

Skeptics (blown) Away! - Round 1

Round 1

Skeptic: What if the devil fooled you into thinking you were called to preach?

Trent: I don't see how the devil would get any advantage out of this trickery. Last I checked Satan wasn't tricking people into studying their Bibles, it doesn't exactly further his evil causes.

(Editor's Note: Two more in the series! Check out Round 2.)

Bound 4 Life: Houston March

Trajectory Shift

What I am about to say is very, very serious: it, quite literally, will affect everything.

I’m talking about callings. I’m focusing on what God wants me to do with my life (I know that sounds somewhat cliché, I apologize for not coming up with a better way to say it). I believe that I have been called to a particular duty.

Preface

I want to be the first to say that I’ve always felt a little irritated when other young people said they were, “called to preach” or, “called to foreign missions” (this was not true of respectable adults or relatives). I’m not sure why this offended me, but I think I thought they were being holier-than-thou, as if the only thing in the world one could be called to was preaching or the mission field. I also thought it was all too simple. They had it easy. They knew what they were supposed to do, they also knew that I didn’t and were rubbing it in my face, at least that was my impression. Pride doesn’t always make sense.

I hope that I make this already overhyped announcement in a way that doesn’t offend you. I know God has a plan for you. You may be called to something boring like me, or it may be something grand like running for President. His ways are not our ways. Sometimes what we least except is what He wants. Also, God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Just because your calling is to the lost souls in Haiti, doesn’t mean you are more important, or more loved, or more worthy, than the clerk at Wal-Mart.

Beginning

I had the idea once after reading the autobiography of W.A. Criswell that I would make a good preacher. My sister immediately pointed out the searing truth that nothing could be further from the truth. If you have ever met me you already are laughing at the idea, it really is, from a human perspective, immensely absurd.

But…God’s ways are not mans ways.

Around that time I was nagged by the sense that God might be calling me to preach. I dislike nagging, so I pushed it off. The idea that God was calling me persisted.

Finally, I told God, “Sure, I’ll preach”.

That was easy, I thought, now I won’t be bugged by that.

Preach? Sure. Be a preacher? Now that was a different matter entirely. I mean really, the Bible commands us to preach the gospel. I know I’m supposed to do that anyway. I can agree to that.

Climax

Some stuff came up, as stuff will always do, and I forgot all about it, but God didn’t.

It’s one thing to agree to do something you were planning on or something you thought about doing – at the time you were thinking about doing it, it’s another to agree to someone else’s seemingly ludicrous plan.

I’ve been called to preach, and be a preacher.

I could try to question and define away till I get every iota of what God actually means by that, but I have a feeling it’s better if I don’t know. God will show me when I need to know.

I finally said to God: “I’ll do it”.

It’s already shifting my trajectory.

Where I’ll end up I don’t know, but who’ll be with me, ah… that’s for sure!

David Barton and I

Wow, what a scary facial expression (I think I was trying trying to smile...)! I'm glad David Barton didn't get a copy!

Patriot Academy, August 2009

Photo by: David Personius