Ezekiel's call

What if, in discerning God's call, the assignment came something like this,

"Listen, Cindy, I'm going to talk to you. I am giving you this assignment. It's to a group of people that is known for being rebellious. They don't act as if they know right from wrong. They're obstinate and stubborn. I'm going to tell you what to say to them and what to do in their presence. They probably aren't going to listen to you. They probably aren't going to change. Don't worry about that. Keep doing what I tell you to do. Keep saying what I tell you to say. They will know that I have sent you even if they refuse to change. Don't be afraid of them. And don't be afraid of the circumstances around you even though I promise it will feel like I've plopped you down in the center of thorns, briers, and scorpions. You have to do what I tell you to do no matter what, especially if they continue to be rebellious. Oh, and you will be right in the middle of mourning, lamenting, and woe."

Would I be more likely to follow the call if I knew the outcome would look like failure? If I knew I was called to a people who were going to refuse to listen? If they weren't going to change? And if I knew there would be other circumstances that would add to my misery?

This is, in essence, the call God gave to Ezekiel, found in chapter two of the book bearing his name. And I read it yesterday asking myself if it would be better to just get all the negative stuff out of the way in the beginning, to accept that this call would be difficult and that it would look like a total failure and that I was going to find myself frustrated; mourning, and lamenting a dream that had died?

The reality is crushing because this is our calling. Jesus says...
My calling is your calling. Luke 4: 16 - 21
You will feel like sheep among wolves, you'll be hated and persecuted Matthew 10
Do what I did. In remembrance of me. Luke 22: 14 - 22
Go. Matthew 28: 19 - 20

Thankfully, there was more to Ezekiel's calling. In chapter three, God adds,

"I'm going to give you what you need to get through this calling. You, too, will be unyielding. Don't be afraid. I will be with you. I will lift you up. My glory will be there."

And the same reminders are with us today. Jesus says to us ...
Don't be afraid...Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10: 31,39
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened ... Matthew 11: 28 - 29
Peace I leave with you ... John 14: 27
And so much more.

Let us stop judging our calling, and whether or not we want to follow that call, on all of the potential outcomes. The outcome is not in our hands. You have a calling. I have a calling. We will feel like we are failing. We may even fall flat on our faces. Others may tell us we've missed the message; we're doing this wrong. We will find ourselves in horrible circumstances. It will feel like we've been plopped down in a patch of briars and thorns, with scorpions all around. But stand firm, for the One who calls is faithful. You will be given exactly what you need to withstand the hardship. And in the end, we will hear our Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"