Intentionally "captured"

One of my favorite songs is "Potter's Hands" by Darlene Zschech and Hillsong.  "I'm captured by your holy calling, set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself, Lead me, Lord, I pray...." 2 Tim 1:9.

"Captured" can mean to gain control of or exert influence over. 

Hmmm, ...."captured by your holy calling"...does my busy life reflect that? Is the "holy calling" exerting the influence over life  - or - are the details of trying to live out that "holy calling" exerting the influence?  

It takes effort to live intentionally captured by the "holy calling.

Often the things we think we need to do for the "holy calling"  cause us to lose sight of it.  Many times we get caught up in the appointments, phone calls and tasks. 

Beginning in I Kings 18:30 we see a few things Elijah did for his "holy calling" at Mt. Carmel.  He built an alter, dug a trench around it, filled it with wood, cut up the sacrificial bull, laid it on the wood and acted as manager to make sure enough water was dumped on it to add some drama to what was about to happen.  All the above was not his "holy calling".  These things prepared for him to stand in his "holy calling. 

After fire fell from heaven,  in verse 37 we see Elijah in his holy calling of announcing the heart of God:  "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”  What a moment to live for!

But....then there was more work to do.  He had to deal with the false prophets of Baal.  Most of the time our "holy calling" is sandwiched in between the work or manifestations involved in the calling. 

What things we are building, tearing down, maintaining or managing that influence us more than our "holy calling?"  Most of the time the "holy calling" is spoken in that still small voice and not the wind, the earthquake or the fire.

Let's make sure we are intentionally captured by the holy calling and not the manifestations of that calling.

---