"Do You Have A Call Within The Call?" ~ by Ronnie Archer

Jesus' preaching attracted many people who wanted to be one of HIS disciples. His question was "why are you trying to follow ME?" Everyone who follows Jesus should have a call within THE call, or you cannot be a follower of Christ. Whatever our call in life is, (our vocation), we should do it well; but we should also have THE call to do whatever it takes to carry our own cross.

It is most important that we RECOGNIZE, and carry our OWN cross. Sometimes, we fail at this because we have not identified our own cross. Whatever our cross in life might be...health challenges, difficult family relationships, the loss of loved ones through death, divorce, etc., job loss, terminal illness, the frailties of old age... whatever they are...we need to take up that cross and carry it, following Jesus.

The Wisdom reading, 9-13, asks: "Who can know God's counsel, or who can conceive what He intends?" The one who knows God is the one who recognizes and takes up his OWN cross and follows Jesus.

There are arduous tasks that we have to undertake here on earth, in planning and preparing, and Jesus gave us two comparisons. Our first (Luke 14:28), is a tower (house) for our security; the second (Luke 14:31), is an army for our protection. So as we plan and prepare for these earthly needs, it is much MORE important to plan for our ETERNAL security and protection.

Luke's Gospel, 14:33, tells us that "anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be a disciple of Jesus." Renouncing our possessions and family members CAN be done, but OUR cross remains with us. Can we join Jesus in the taking up of our OWN cross?