For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive ........
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ........
Many Bible translations have the same heading ... "Making Your Calling and Election Sure". When you first read this, one might think that this was referring to significant church leaders or just pastors. However, the call here is that everyone is called to His glory, goodness and godliness. Many other passages talk of how we can do that through exercising our spiritually gifts. This passage speaks of something that should precede our gifts. It speaks of glorifying Him through our goodness.
The call that I have in glorifying God is to shepherd, coach, encourage and challenge Christian leaders in what ever role they find themselves. Although we as Christians will never shed our sinful nature until we enter our heavenly home, God calls us to be set apart from the world. This actually means that our behavior should be set apart from worldly behavior. People need to see a difference when they encounter us. We need to feel a difference when we encounter each other. Not being set apart from the world's behavior destroys the reputation of Christ. Let me give you an example.
The company I own provides disaster services. Early in the 1990's I had an estimator named Sherry. She was an outstanding salesperson, energetic and effective. She grew up in a family that went to church but had move away from any connection with church or God. She saw what my life in Christ looked like and worked for me during my own major transformation toward Christ. We had many talks and one day I took her to lunch and shared the gospel in more detail using the very popular bridge illustration. On that day she told me she was not just not ready. Sherry liked to party.
Several months later we received a call from a prominent church in our area. The church is led by a pastor who is seen occasionally on TV today. They had a fire at the church and needed us. I sent Sherry to this fire damage to represent us. Hours later she came back, poked her head into my office and said. "Ron, if that is what Christianity is like, I want no part of it". Without waiting for my reply she walked away and went back to work. I sat there somewhat stunned.
After I gave her time to "cool off", she explained how badly she was treated. She told me of the arrogance of the people she met and the poor treatment she received. A few years later the pastor of this church had an emergency water damage in his own house and never paid his bill. Months later, my attorney told me that this pastor has many unpaid bills with many contractors, and those that know him well will not do business with him or this church. This pastor and this church may have a very public fancy ministry, but behind the scenes is behaving in a way that destroys the reputation of Christ. It grieved me then how it set back the development of Sherry, and who knows how many others.
We all need to balance the "call or vision" with the call to "goodness". Friends, I have been reassured of my election and call. Many of you have helped with that. My first and foremost call is for "his own glory and excellence". My secondary call is to glorify Him through business ventures and effective leadership development. When applicable, I must exhort those whose behavior has not been set apart from unbelievers. I (we) must balance our boldness with goodness. Jesus got aggressive with many people including church leaders. However Jesus is remembered more for his kindness than His aggressiveness. I wonder how he would have addressed the church that was arrogant toward Sherry. Leaders will never be salt and light if they continue to lead in darkness.
Goodness should never be overshadowed by the vision. I would question the validity of your vision if where you are going overshadows the person in need in front of you. If that were the case, Jesus would have only preached the doom to come and never would have healed the sick or warned of the demise of those who would hurt little children.
We need to be bold with each other. Helping leaders by "admonishment with goodness" on the surface seems impossible. But it is not impossible. If it my call, it is not impossible.
So what is your call? Whatever it is remember this ...... goodness first.
P.S, Sherry continued to work for me for about a total of 10 years but later remarried the second husband she previously divorced and moved to be with him in Florida. Years later she called me to tell me that she had finally accepted Christ and was reading the Bible I gave her for Christmas every day. What joy I had that day on the phone with her!
