Last night we finally got to dive in to chapter 2 of Nehemiah. We started the night off reviewing last week and then spent some time discussing the difference between our calling and our vision. I am sure there are many people who are much more versed and educated on this topic who could eloquently pontificate (good blog word) on the subtle nuances that make these concepts so beautiful and crucial to truly live out the fullest Christian life. But for our purposes, here is what I sort of see as the difference. Our calling or callings are those things in scripture that God unquestionably calls us to.
For example:
1) We are called to share the gospel and make disciples throughout the world Matt 28:16-20, Acts 1:8
2) We are called to pray - 1 Thes. 5:16-18
3) We are called to love others - 1 John 3:11
4) Husbands are called to love their wives - Ephesians 5:25
5) Wives are called to submit to their husbands - Ephesians 5:22
6) Children are called to obey and honor their parents - Ephesians 6:1-2
I could go on and on...but the point is that there are certain things that the Bible clearly calls us to do in our lives. We do not have to debate the neccesity of these things. They are, for the most part, explicit callings on our lives and to not do them would be an act of rebellion against God (of course there are always a few gray issues that some may consider a clear calling from scripture and others don't).
But then there are all sorts of other things/questions we have that really are not the same clear cut types of callings from scripture.
1) Am I supposed to go to college...and where?
2) Am I supposed to get married one day?
3) Should I be in full time ministry or missions? Here or overseas?
4) What church should I go to?
These are all questions that we sometimes answer with a "calling" description. "We were 'called' into fulltime overseas missions"...or "I know now that I was 'called' to go to XXXYY University to study pre-med and be a doctor one day". These statements might actually be very true in regards to the path which God has led that person down, but can I back either of these statments up with Scripture? I don't think so. So there is something different from this and the first "callings" that I listed. I think these latter statements fall more into our vision...which hopefully is from God. I think the person in that first statment has been "called" (just like the rest of us) to share the gospel all over the world. The "vision" that God has given that person for how and where to actually carry out that calling is in full time overseas missions work. Could that very same person carry out that very same calling in a very different vision that places them in corporate america somewhere boldly sharing the gospel with colleagues? I don't claim to be able to definitively answer that question, but I at least think that it could possibly be true.
With Nehemiah chapter 2 we are beginning to see Nehemiah taking hold of a vision that God has given him based on God's calling for his life. God has given Nehemiah a calling as a Jew to love, follow and serve Him...Yahweh...both as an individual and as a nation (Deut 6). He has also been called to love and protect his people (Deut 7). Nehemiah hears of how his people in Judah are in "great trouble and shame" and not following their calling to love and serve Yahweh. He is deeply disturbed by this as we saw in Chapter 1. As Chapter 2 begins, 4 months have passed while Nehemiah has prayed for the situation and wept for his people, and God has begun to develop a vision and a plan for how Nehemiah might be able to act on what God has called him to. When the opportunity to share that vision with someone who can make it happen (King Atraxerxes) comes along, Nehemiah pounces on it! He is scared to death, but he does not let that fear stiffle him. He prays and moves forward with a bold...almost ridiculous...proposition for the king. The king accepts it and grants Nehemiah the opportunity not just to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city walls, but he provides him with protection, authority and resources to do it! Talk about God moving to accomplish what a man could not!
When Nehemiah finally gets to Jerusalem he does what any good leader would, he accurately assess the situation and puts together a plan. Only after that, does he share his vision with the poeple, and they buy in 100%. What a great lesson for us. What was considered an impossible, or at least unrealistic, idea of rebuilding the walls before, is now a source of excitement among the people. Something that they can rally behind. Good leaders know that a compelling vision is critical to motivate people! The people knew what their calling was, but they needed a compelling vision to motivate them to action. We also see at the end of the chapter that this kind of vision not only motivates us, but it spurs us to persevere in the midst of pain, persecution , and trials...just as Nehemiah did in verses19-20.
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