Are you a jersey-wearing fan of Jesus or a sold-out follower?

This week marks one year since we began this weekly devotional journey together. I hope that the Sunday messages and daily prompts have enriched your prayer time. Whether you read the printed version at church, access it here or on the xroads website, check it out on Facebook or receive the daily text messages, it has been a joy sharing this experience with you! We are starting a new sermon series about the difference between being a real follower of Jesus vs. just a fan, and I hope you’ll stick with us for the next several weeks as we delve into it.

Have you ever acted foolish in public? I’d like to claim that I haven’t, but there is photographic evidence of me at the Alamo Bowl wearing a plush bear hat with an interlocking “BU” face tattoo to prove otherwise. That night, I jumped up and down and screamed and cheered and gave so many high-fives that I bruised the palm of my hand. I was hoarse for two days.

My dad & me at the at Alamo Bowl 2012

Yeah, I’d say I was a bit foolish in my exuberant support of the Bears. 😉 To non-sports fans, that type of enthusiasm may seem fanatical, weird or pointless.

In the book of I Corinthians, Paul talks about another sort of so-called folly—our faith. Verse 18 says that to those who don’t believe, the message of the cross is foolishness, but to those of us who believe, “it is the power of God” (NIV). The world may think that we are the ones who are foolish for believing in Jesus, but Paul goes on to say that God uses the foolishness of the world to demonstrate his own power.

The wisdom of the world cannot compare to God’s wisdom. God called foolish, weak, lowly creatures like us to be set apart for him, so that we would not boast in our own abilities but in his power alone.

The Bears were not victorious at the Alamo Bowl because of my own football abilities, that’s for certain! I was just a fan. As we look at what it means to move from being a fan to a follower of Christ, let’s remember that we can only accomplish what he calls us to do because of his strength, not our own (Philippians 4:13).

When our yes doesn’t mean yes or our no doesn’t mean no, we give the enemy wiggle room in our lives. Don’t give in; give control to God.

Speaking of perseverance, check out the story of Job in the Old Testament. Be encouraged by God’s unending love for you!

Do you persevere in tough times, or do you throw in the towel? What is God asking you to be patient about today? Talk to him about it.

Ten years ago, the university where I currently work unveiled a 12-part vision statement to help chart the institution’s course for the next decade. Being a private, Christian university, the vision statement included a natural bent toward spiritual development. Imperative VI, in particular, emphasized the need for students “to understand life as a stewardship and work as a vocation.” Over the years, this idea of life as a calling extended into staff and faculty professional development, as well.

In a nutshell, if we view our life work as a calling and life — as a whole — as a stewardship of service, then even the most seemingly mundane tasks can become our ministry. We begin to live out Colossians 3:17, which reads: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (NIV).

When I embarked upon an overseas missions assignment in the mid-to-late ’90s, I had a very clear sense of God’s calling toward that role. I didn’t know yet if I was supposed to make a complete career shift into missions or if it would be a short-term assignment, but regardless, I was confident that I was supposed to go when I did.

Since that time, I have felt a sense of reassurance about the jobs that I have held. I haven’t experienced a firm “calling” toward any particular position, but I feel like God has let the dominoes fall in place to prepare me for where I am today.

All that is to say, what’s next? All of my spiritual gift inventories point toward administration as my primary gift, and I’ve gained quite a bit of professional experience in the nonprofit sector/higher ed. I used to think that God had one purpose/plan for my life, so I’d darn sure better get it right and make the singularly correct decisions. Now, I wonder if that’s really the case. The “Experiencing God” study several years ago made me realize that I should be more conscientious about where God is at work than I should be about “my” decisions. God can still work through me, no matter where I live or what my job title happens to be.

I pray for God’s will to be done, but part of me wonders: Isn’t he going to do his will, anyway? I suppose that my prayer to that end is just an affirmation that I’m conforming to his plan, even if it is not necessarily my own initial inclination. If I pray for God’s will and receive a job offer, do I take it and assume it’s his will? What if there are multiple options on the table? What if I say yes to one, and the next day, another calls? (Ah, to be so fortunate in this economy! I’m just thinking aloud, not presuming that potential employers will be knocking down my door begging to hire me.)

I pray for peace and wisdom. James 1:5 reminds me, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (NIV).

Somehow, entering the “real” mission field seems like a less daunting task than making a career move. Perhaps because people assume that you are “called” to missions, whereas, jobs are just jobs? I don’t know the answers.

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Today’s post is another life:unmasked link-up. Join us and share the vulnerable messy truth about you and God and how God is at work in that mess.

Think about God’s faithfulness. He is a promise-keeper, not a promise-breaker. He is full of compassion & mercy! (James 5:11)