I’ve been a presidency member who shows up to meetings and completes assignments.
And I’ve been a presidency member who seeks revelation, takes initiative, and connects with the people I serve.
I’ve been a Ward Choir Director who waits for someone else to tell me what to do and when.
And I’ve been a Ward Choir Director who makes decisions through the Spirit, gets approval from certain leaders, and moves forward with confidence and authority.
I’ve been a teacher who prepares my lesson, comes to church, and teaches it.
And I’ve been a teacher who gets to know the youth that I teach, tailors lessons to their needs, and follows the Spirit with how to conduct my classes.
Why does it matter if I’m the former or the latter example for each calling?
Absolutely, connecting with others and building up my ward family is so important.
But honestly, if my Heavenly Father needs to get a message to a teen sitting in my class, and I’m not accessing the Spirit and authority that I have, He will just find someone else to deliver the message who is more in-tune.
(I mean, I really want to make sure I can do my best to be that person, but God can make anything happen whether or not I’m engaged.)
At the end of the day, my church callings are about my Heavenly Father and me.
“And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility” (Jacob 1:19)
Am I going to learn, as Jacob teaches, how to magnify and take responsibility?
Am I going to learn that when I am set apart for a calling, I am given priesthood authority to act?
Am I going to learn that I can ALWAYS choose to be Christlike, no matter the limitations or imperfect people I face?
The lessons I can learn are endless.
And sometimes, the lesson is that it’s okay to scale back and simplify.
When I look at church callings through the lens of my personal relationship with my Savior, I keep everything in perspective a little better.
The frustrations, limitations and exhaustion don’t matter as much.
And whenever I become more Christlike, I am magnifying my calling, no matter what it may, or may not, be.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
2 Responses
I am not sure how I feel about this snippet. I often grow frustrated with people who accept callings but have no intention to fulfill them, let alone magnify them. At the same time, I think there is something very truthful to what is at the heart of the message being shared here. We are given callings so we can grow our relationship with the Lord through service. I understand it is not about measuring results, but rather it is about whether we can honestly tell the Lord, “I served with all my heart, mind, and strength,” without comparing our efforts or results to that of others.
Another great set of commentns Cali. Thanks for your insight–I think we all may find we have the first aspect within our minds to do our best with our callings, but sometimes we have to be in tune to teach and find those you needed with the spirit, and maybe the lesson won’t be exactly what we expected, but something better!!