Such A Time As This
I find this such an interesting time of life as I look at my own journey of turning 65. What does the future hold? What are the choices I am presented with? Strangely, or probably not so strange, many of my friends are in the same situation. What am I to do with those choices and where is God in all of this?
Over the years I have written many articles and received many communications back. I was going through some of my things the other day and I came across a word, given to me over a decade ago, at a difficult crossroad point in my life. Although this new crossroad is not difficult, the word still holds true.
The word came from the writing of Francis Frangipane about “Appointed Times.” This is about you having an appointed destiny and call. Now I don’t believe either of these things has a statute of limitations, any expiry date if you will. But what Francis does point out, is that we can become disappointed or more obviously dis-appointed. We can come to think that what we believed about our call and destiny is no longer valid due to circumstances, health or even sin. But is that true or is it the work of the enemy or our own unbelief? Have we allowed the enemy and what we see in the natural, to convince us that we are out of the game? Are we in fact dis-appointed from our destiny by words and thoughts we have spoken over ourselves, or others have spoken over us?
I remember meeting a man at one of our PK Local Events a couple of years back. He had a call and anointing to preach and proclaim the Word of God, the Truth. Unfortunately, he’d had a serious health issue with his throat. He had come through and recovered but his voice had changed, and he was self-conscious about that. He was still easily understood and able to speak well, but he felt that calling had now gone for him. He had allowed himself to be dis-appointed from his “God given call.” Now this could be a natural response and certainly works for the enemy to have one less anointed carrier of God’s word to worry about. But is this what God wanted for him? I did not believe that to be true and told him so, encouraging him to choose to step back into his calling and use his experience to move forward, not park off to the side.
We prayed together and he chose to reengage. It reminded me of one of the end scenes in the first Top Gun movie where Maverick overcomes his personal doubt and demons to reengage in the air battle, making all the difference.
So, as I leave Promise Keepers and move into retirement, I am reminded that my call and destiny is not complete. I am still called for this appointed time I have been born into. What about you? Do you have a call or a gifting that you have left behind because of circumstances, words spoken over you or past sin? If it is sin, whether past or present, then seek help, repent, and move on. Either Jesus died for our sin, or He didn’t! If it is the words of others or the enemy or both, remember there is only one source of Truth and He has not given up on your unfulfilled call. You have not been dis-appointed; it only feels like that.
Stand up my friend, your time is still ahead of you!
Blessings
Paul Monahan