Many people are familiar with the Biblical account from Genesis 12:1-5 and following. Does the Scripture reference ring a bell for you? It is the Call of Abram, and it is an inspiring (and challenging!) text to read as we consider the ways God calls us in our own lives. What I found interesting about this in a recent study came not in the Genesis 12 text, but in the preceding verses from chapter 11. "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran." Two key 3 word phrases stand out to me - First, Terah set out to "go to Canaan." Secondly, when they came to Haran, "...they settled there." It makes me pause and wonder - did God place a call in Terah's life to go to Canaan and find the Promised Land, but somewhere along the way, Terah got comfortable and decided to 'settle' in Haran? He isn't condemned for this or spoken ill of, and his story largely gets forgotten in the light of what God did through Abram. But for me, it begs the question - Did Terah settle for less? Here then, is the question for us - are there things God has called us to do that we start out doing, but along the way, we stop and settle for less? What things, great or small, does God purpose to do in or through us, but because we choose to settle for less, God must accomplish through someone else? Let's refuse to settle for less, and to pursue the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives as we live our lives for His glory! (Not that I do this as much as I should either, but let's keep moving on to perfection!)
6 comments:
Jeff...excellent post. Really got me thinking about ways that I have stopped and settled for less than what God wanted me to do. This gives me the courage to keep striving and serving.
Jeff,
Just what I needed to hear (actually, read!). I knew I admired you for a reason (although you are still a punk)!
Jeff
P.S. - Make sure you check out my blog!
Thanks, Jeff, for the good challenge.
To utilize another Old Testament image, too often I find myself relinquishing the birthright and settling for the stew.
Another excellent post. I didn't know you guys had it in you! Such thought-provoking content.
love,
r
Good, good stuff. See you in Grove City.
Jeff...I think you have settled for less in your choice of friends!
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