Affirmation Before the Calling
The idea of reading the Bible in its entirety has been intimidating for me. I never considered myself a reader until the last couple of years, and, let’s be honest, the Bible is a thick book. I didn’t think I could understand it. My intimidation was more directly linked to the Old Testament. I thought I would need to know keywords in Hebrew {the language of the Old Testament} and a concordance of explanations. If I were frank with myself, I would also admit with my head hung, I didn’t think the Old Testament was as important or relevant in my life.
I was wrong.
I relate to Jeremiah. We both grew up in the midst of our faith. Some of you reading this have grown up listening to sermons since you were knee-high. It makes you believe you know right from wrong, and we can easily grow comfortable and apathetic. Comfortable and apathetic isn’t what God has for us, though. God has a higher calling in mind.
In Jeremiah 1:5, God calls Jeremiah into his ministry.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
— The Lord to Jeremiah, New International Version
Oh, does this speak to my soul! For years I was waiting to hear the “call” on my life, where God wanted me to go and how he wanted me to serve him. I wanted to know where I was going, so I could “do my part” to make it happen. I desired to layout my task list, my S.M.A.R.T. goals, my action plans. I suspected. I guessed. I tried to do what I thought I was supposed to. But then, I lost hope. I lost momentum. Ultimately, I lost myself.
I missed the first part. I wasn’t listening for the first part. I didn’t know the first part was necessary. God didn’t just jump right into calling Jeremiah to the weighty responsibility of being a prophet to the nations. God affirms Jeremiah first. God affirms his knowledge of Jeremiah, not just his name, but how he was formed at birth. He knew his Enneagram number, his 4-letter Myers-Briggs type, his metabolism rate, his book smarts, his street smarts, his physical features, his quirky nuances, his flaws, and all the in-betweens. Not only did God know Jeremiah. God formed Jeremiah. Because God formed him, he knew him and could confidently tell him, “I set you apart.”
Did Jeremiah miss the affirmation? Reading on into Jeremiah, I think he questioned it. “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” How many times have I said this? I don't know how to ____________; I'm too ___________. This was Jeremiah’s response in verse 6, where he pleads his case of feeling inadequate and inept. He needed a boost of confidence, and God met him in his need. God affirmed him, assuring his presence while providing some additional confirmations to him. Physical touch. Physical confirmations. God gave space for Jeremiah to grow in confidence and to step in obedience.
I missed the affirmation years ago. I sought earnestly from the world, looking for confirmation and affirmation that my qualities were intentionally put in me for a purpose. My seeking waned, and I floundered. I didn’t want to accept the baby steps to grow in my calling. I thought I just had to know all the right things to do. In pursuing healing, accepting the sweet words of affirmation from God my Father has been a key first step. True self-care is accepting needed affirmation from my very Creator and allowing him to affirm my steps. Self-care is not running from my calling or running ahead of my calling…it’s staying in step with God, the Creator of my calling, to the direction he leads.
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